Finding A Sakura
by Koomahana
Summary: The rookie nine were given a mission that forced them to work with Gaara's team to save her, but it wasn't going to be easy. Her family was older then the the first Hokage himself and they had no plans to return her to the hidden leaf; they were powerful and possessive ... and to make things worse... she didn't want them to save her.
1. Chapter 1: Secrets revealed

They were given a mission, the rookie nine had to work with Gaara's team to save Sakura Haruno, but it wasn't going to be easy; expersherly since she didn't want saving…

***Secrets revealed***

She was walking around the village for old memories sake; her mother told her that they'd be leaving soon, she was supposed to inform her team about the change; she just wasn't sure about how to go about it. Sakura flung some stray pink hair out of her eyes and then she noticed him. He was leaning against a red bridge, his azure blue eyes down cast and lost in memory, his normally smiling whisker face was set and concentrated and his wild, windblown blond hair sat down around his face as if he had gotten wet and hadn't bothered with drying it yet.

"Naruto," Sakura whined, "What are you doing now?" Naruto turned to Sakura, they were at their bridge were Team seven often met at; at least before everything changed. That was before the chunin exams, before Orochimaru, before Sasuke left, and now after all that, things had just started to settle down and become semi normal again.

"Oh, I was just remembering, you know how things used to be…" Naruto said, returning his eyes back to the river flowing beneath them. Sakura stared at him, what was she supposed to say to that? That she didn't think about it at all, that the past never crossed her mind even once, because if it did then she would start crying and Tsunade would kick her ass if she found that out, was she supposed to say that? No that wouldn't help, if anything that would make things worse.

"So how you've been doing? I heard that Jaraya has been teaching you a little here and there." Sakura said, trying to distract her team mate.

"Yeah! I'm learning all kinds of new things, purvey sage is kind of fun that way!" Naruto said with a chuckle, as if remembering something from earlier that day. Sakura gave a deep sigh, she knew that expression; it was the face Naruto gave when he was disappointed in himself, which meant he screwed up big time.

"Okay, let's go." Sakura said as she walked past Naruto with a light tap on his head.

"Huh?"

"I'll buy the ramen, you just order as much as you want." Sakura said as she turned back to Naruto with a wink. The last thing she needed was a depressed Naruto, she was feeling down as it was, she didn't need any help from a depressed Naruto; who could bring down a whole village with his one pouty look alone.

"Oh, okay! So it's like a date?" Naruto said jokingly, his smile back on his face, he walked next to her, talking about the different kind of ramen he would start eating at his favorite ramen bar. He continued talking as they waited for their ramen bowls, he was quite as he ate, but as soon as he was done he was back to talking again. This time a little more hesitantly, he tried some jokes, they weren't funny but Sakura chuckled at him all the same. Trying her best to make him feel better, even if it meant acting like an amused elder sister, at least Naruto was feeling better now.

"And then Jariya-Sensei—" Naruto began, his energy back at full tilt and his eyes a light with his entertainment of the memory. But Naruto was never able to finish his story, because right at that moment Anbu surrounded them. "What the-"

"What's going on here?" Sakura half heartedly asked, turning her back to Naruto, just in case they weren't friendly, Naruto also turned his back to Sakura, the memory of the last Chunin exams coming to mind.

"Haruno-san, you are to fallow us to lady Hokage, now." Ordered one of the Anbu member's, Sakura's eyes peered at him sideways from her position; where had she heard that voice before? Naruto visibly relaxed and chuckled to himself.

"Oh well if it's just Baa-Chan, then there's no threat, right Sakura?" Naruto said, a smile split across his face, "There was no reason for us to act like they were going to hurt us, like some tried during the chunin exams." Sakura didn't relax; in fact her hand readied itself at the hilt of her Kunai pouch.

"Not quite, Naruto." Sakura replied, watching the Anbu wirily. Naruto looked at her funny for a moment, before he returned his hands to his sides; he looked almost relaxed, if not for the fact his fingers traced one of his kunai apprehensively.

"You care to clarify, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, he was completely serious, now wasn't the time to joke around.

"Why didn't Tsunade-sama just call for me, instead of sending two teams of Anbu after me?" Sakura asked, she knew she couldn't take on Anbu, but she could at least run away to find help if nothing else.

"Because Tsunade has asked for an emergency meeting, she wants you at her office NOW." Another Anbu member stressed, But Sakura only readied herself into a defensive stance, a kunai in hand. Naruto quickly fallowed after her, but was slightly hesitant to use it, neither one of them were strong enough to take on Anbu.

"Sakura, are we really going to fight off two teams of Anbu?" Naruto asked, he knew he stood at least half a chance, but he wasn't so sure that Sakura could.

"No Naruto, we're going to fight so we can run away, we need to get to Tsunade-sama as quickly as possible." Sakura said calmly, she readied herself to fight and flee if given the first chance.

"Okay," Naruto said "but can't we do that without getting into a fight, I mean Anbu here is only going to escort us to baa-Chan anyways."

"No Naruto, haven't you been listening?" Sakura asked calmly, "These guys aren't Anbu, Anbu don't call Tsunade-sama, 'Tsunade'. They call her Hokage-sama." Sakura narrowed her eyes at the surrounding Anbu, it was basic knowledge that most shinobi called Tsunade 'Hokage' and that a select few called Tsunade, Tsunade-sama; Anbu weren't a part of that select few. The Anbu man who spook first chuckled, his hand went to the sheath of his sword.

"Of course, of course," the man chuckled, Sakura narrowed her eyes at him, he sounded familiar; Sakura just couldn't place where she'd heard him before. She didn't want to get into a fight; expersherly with people who out ranked her and could easily kill her and Naruto without a second thought.

"As the dead heir, it's only natural that you could see through us." Sakura's eyes widened in horror, now she remembered who he was, how could she forget? The man chuckled again, he reached up and removed his mask and glared at the two children before him.

"What the—" Naruto didn't get to finish what he was going to say, because at that moment one of the men moved forward and hit him harshly in the stomach.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted out, she turned and caught him, ready to flee if they charged her. But the attaching Anbu simply jumped back to his previous position, the man who removed his mask chuckled again.

"Don't worry, he won't die, yet." Sakura glared up at the blue eyed man. "We don't want him to hear something that he shouldn't, we could always kill him if you want; dead heir." The man mocked almost playfully, but there was a seriousness there that frightened Sakura, but she knew not to show her fear; that would only encourage him.

"Go to hell, Ikisu." Snapped Sakura, the man simply laughed at her.

"Awe, the little kitten decided to bare her teeth at her master, how cute." The man called Ikisu cooed softly, he made a dismissive jester and one of the female Anbu members charged Sakura. The woman raised her sheathed sword above Sakura and as she swung down towards the younger girl, Sakura raised her chakra infused foot and kicked the older woman with it as harshly as she could. She hoped the sickening crunching was the woman's ribs and that one of her lungs got punctured; Sakura watched passively as the Anbu member flew away and landed a few feet outside of the circle. Sakura took advantage of the momentary shock and grabbed Naruto harshly around his shoulders and charged her way out of the circle. She carried Naruto over her shoulder, using her chakra to give her strength and speed, Sakura rushed towards the Hokage tower as fast as she could.

"Catch that cat." Ikisu called with a twisted smile on his face, four of his 'Anbu' members left after Sakura and her teammate, two others stayed behind. While one checked the woman, one waited for orders, Ikisu looked around the empty street. Seriously, how the hell didn't she see them coming? You never go down an empty street in the middle of the afternoon, it just wasn't smart. Hearing an unexpected explosion, Ikisu sighed as he reached for his mask again; it wouldn't do for the other shinobi in this village to come out and stop them. "I guess we should go and help catch the cat."

"Master Ikisu, Rin can't fallow." Said the man who was checking the kicked woman, Ikisu stopped and stared at the bone carved face of a bird. "She has three broken ribs and one of them has punctured her left lung. If she doesn't get help soon she'll die."

"If she's going to be useless again, then send her home. We can't do anything for her, not innless she _wants'_ to get killed." Ikisu said heartlessly, honestly, why does it seem that it's always Rin getting hurt?

"We could take her to the hospital here, they shouldn't ask too many questions, _if_ they belief us to be their Anbu." The last member of Ikisu's team spook up at last. Ikisu smiled at the man and nodded his consent, the sounds of that battle with the 'dead heir' were starting to get interesting; and he wanted a bite of that fight. Unfortunately when he finally reached his small team, he saw two very unexpected things. The first was the arrival of the real Anbu members of Leaf, the second was two men; one Ikisu knew to be Sakura's teacher, the other made Ikisu really want to gag. The second man was in green spandex and had a hideous hair cut, Ikisu felt like throwing up at the sight of that man.

"This looks like fun." Ikisu smiled behind his mask, immanently he saw the two fractions separate, Kakashi and the green monster surrounded Sakura and her knocked out teammate, the real Anbu surrounded Kakashi and the green man protectively. "I came to collect a dead kitten and I find a crow, some scattered leaves and a hideous green monster that can't seem to dress to save his life." Ikisu chuckled as his men surrounded the leaf-nin on the surrounding buildings.

"Well that's not a very youthful comment." Gai said slightly put out.

"Who are you and why are you after Naruto? Are you apart of Akatsuki?" Kakashi demanded, he didn't see Sakura flinch. Sakura bit at her lip nervously, how the hell was she supposed to explain this?

"Awe, that's not nice Hatake Kakashi." Ikisu said calmly, holding back his laughter. "I just said that I was after a dead kitten, I don't recall saying anything about a worthless fox." He couldn't hold back his laughter anymore, Ikisu just had to chuckle at the white haired Jonin below him. Kakashi glanced at his two remaining students.

_So he's not after Naruto, then Sakura? But she's nothing special, just a girl who's learning to be a medic._ Kakashi thought to himself, he readied himself once more at the foreign ninja surrounding them. _They're not after Sasuke, he's in Oto. This man spook of a 'dead kitten' that can't be Sakura, she's very much alive, so she's out. But that leaves Naruto, and he said he wasn't after any foxes, which means he either doesn't know what Naruto is, or he knows exactly what Naruto is and doesn't seem to care about him. But then why attach Naruto and Sakura? Did they stumble upon them collecting their 'dead cat' accidently?_ Kakashi didn't know what was going on, but he was very mad that this was twice in one year that imposters had stolen and impersonated the Anbu.

"You know me, but I don't know you. Care to introduce yourself?" Kakashi snapped.

"Of course, that's what one should do when meeting a teacher of one's family member shouldn't they?" Ikisu agreed, he loved how confused his opponents looked as they glared furiously at him, he jumped down from his perch and landed a good distance away from the leaf shinobi; His own team landing next to him.

"Are you sure about this master?" one of the men asked as all of the ninja behind Ikisu raised their hands to their masks.

"Of course, it'll be fun to see them turn on one of their own." Ikisu said calmly, Kakashi glared at him specifically. _So he has sharp ears, this'll be interesting._ "Take them off everybody; let's introduce our selves to the intruders." Ikisu chuckled again, as each leaf shinobi readied themselves, Kakashi scoffed at Ikisu and his glare turned even colder; he didn't appear to care about what they looked like, that was interesting all on its own. _So he hasn't put two and two together yet, that's almost disappointing…_

"That's rich, coming from you." Kakashi snapped out, his Kunai ready, Ikisu chuckled again, he couldn't help it; this Kakashi was funny and the little kitten wasn't much better. She had to know that if she just got up and walked over to them then none of this would be happening, all she had to was return to them and then they'd leave and no one would be the wiser. Glancing at Sakura, Ikisu caught the full hit of her furious green glare that was mixed with worry, regret and fear.

"Now, now Kakashi-sensei; are you telling me that your precious little student didn't tell you anything? How very rude kitten, you should always introduce your family to your teachers." Ikisu said mockingly, Sakura glared at him hatefully. Kakashi glanced briefly at his students, but he was still confused. This stranger was talking about family and his students, but Naruto was an orphan and Sakura seemed to really hate these people. But then again, she also refused to look at any of them, for the exception of that man who was speaking. It was strange to see Sakura with such a hateful look on her face, her eyes were filled with so much anger that they were almost cold looking. Perhaps she really did know these strange people who attached her, could she really be related to these people?

"Little kitten," Ikisu cooed softly, Sakura stiffened and huddled herself over Naruto protectively, "Aren't you going to introduce us?" Kakashi looked back at his opponents and nearly choked on his surprise. "We are after all, your family." Kakashi didn't have time to respond, the blue eyed man was before him; his fist in his stomach. With the wind knocked out of him, Kakashi had little choice but to collapse; he didn't even know that people could move that fast!

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed, the rest of the damasked 'Anbu' headed straight for the real Anbu, this time they didn't waste any time, it was only moments before they were motionless on the ground; only Gai remained untouched.

"Ikisu leave them alone!" Sakura snapped out coldly as she held Kakashi next to her, there was no way she could flee and carry both of them; but she could at least get her teammates out of the way as she ran full tilt. Gai swung a kick at the man before Sakura; Ikisu simply dogged and retreated a few steps.

"Now, now, that wasn't very nice. Kitten why don't you tell these fools to stop getting in our way? I promise we won't hurt them or anyone else, if you just come home with us." Ikisu smiled at Sakura, it was cold and empty and did nothing more than make Sakura crouch over Naruto and Kakashi protectively with an almost predatory snarl.

"Sakura, so you do know these strangers." Gai said calmly as he took his place beside his fallen comrade. "Who are these Anbu impersonating fools?" Sakura didn't look at him; she just glared at the blue eyed man standing before them.

"That man is Ikisu," Sakura gritted out, pointing her chin to the blue eyed man who hit Kakashi "and he's worse than a released, blood thirsty, Bijuu." Kakashi sighed and gently pushed Sakura away from him. "Sensei you shouldn't be moving yet! He'll kill you!" Kakashi briefly hesitated, before he completed moving onto his knees. If he was going to fight this man, then he'd be needing the Sharingan; he just had to time it right and he could catch the man off guard.

"Awe Kitten, you say that like it's a bad thing." Ikisu smiled sweetly, Sakura and Kakashi glared at him; Ikisu couldn't hold back that insasionable bubbling in his chest, he just had to laugh at them.

"You are foreign ninja, how dare you enter this village and create an international incident." Kakashi growled out, Gai nodded his head in agreement. "Just why do you plan on taking Sakura? What is she to you? I know it's not her talent for fighting. There are thousands of medics nationwide, so it can't be for her talent as a medic-nin. She doesn't come from any kind of clan, just an average civilian family." Kakashi said calmly, trying to narrow down the reasons why they might want Sakura, but his deductions lead to nothing but her ridicules control of Chakra; but without training even that wasn't very useful. "Just what do you want from Sakura?" Ikisu was flat out glaring at Kakashi.

"Not from a clan is she?" Ikisu growled out, Kakashi's eyes narrowed at him; slowly he retched for his head band, ready to move it out of his way. "Just from a _civilian family_ is she?" Kakashi was beginning to get slightly nervous from that unblinking glare; he lifted his head band and stared at the intruder with his Sharingan. "She is from the great Haruno clan!" Ikisu snapped out and kicked Kakashi in the chest, bringing him to his feet, Kakashi hadn't even seen him move; the Sharingan didn't even track him!

"_We_ are the Haruno clan!" Ikisu snarled out in Kakashi's ear

"Sensei!" Sakura called as she covered Naruto.

"We are not some _civilian family_! How _dare_ you say that we are!" Ikisu just couldn't stop hitting Kakashi, not giving the white haired man time to block or protect himself. "We could wipe out this whole village in a single night if we so wished!" Ikisu snapped out, "We could start our own war with the five nations and still come out on top!" Ikisu just kept hitting Kakashi until he finally hit the ground, and then he just pummeled him.

"We are more powerful than your 'great Uchiha'! We're faster than even your precious Hyuuga!" Ikisu barked out, Gai starred wide eyed at the man beating Kakashi, even if he did interfere, what could he do? He couldn't even see this man's movements. "Konoha doesn't have a chance in hell against us Haruno!"

Gai glanced down at Sakura; she was still holding Naruto protectively as she kept her eyes on the other strangers. The leaf Anbu couldn't even stand from their attackers, each of the introducers were crouching next to their knocked out enemy almost protectively.

Gai did notice that every man and woman crouching next to the Anbu members were either red heads or had orange hair; they also had golden or blue eyes. slowly Gai glanced down at Sakura, she had pink hair and green eyes, she looked nothing like these people; maybe the strange blue eyed man had gotten the wrong pink haired girl? But Ikisu's words troubled him, he had never heard of a clan more powerful then the Uchiha or any clan that was faster than the Hyuuga.

"Sakura, is there really a Haruno clan?" Gai asked softly as he crouched next to her, hesitantly Sakura slowly nodded her head, her eyes closed as if she resigned herself to her fate. "And your apart of it?" another slow nod, Gai looked at the man who was beating Kakashi without care that he wasn't responding. He could ask his other questions later, for now he had to help Kakashi, and without another glance he rushed forward blocking a fist that to Kakashi's head.

"What? Get out of the way!" snapped Ikisu as he charged at Kakashi again, Gai grabbed his white haired friend and jumped away from the furious man. To say he was glad he dogged that blow would be an understatement, the ground ruptured underneath that blow; if Gai hadn't been there he would have sworn that Tsunade had hit there.

"Good thing I pulled you away when I did, have you been receiving those kinds of hits this entire time Kakashi?" Gai asked as he landed.

"s-sa-ku- ra—" Kakashi mumbled from his swollen lips, for once Gai was glad he couldn't see Kakashi's face; it frightened him to think what kind of state Kakashi was in. Gai sighed and pulled Kakashi closer to him, Ikisu was furious; he'd never had anyone stop his fight before, that was a flat out disgrace to him.

"Stupid," Sakura mumbled as she briefly glanced at Ikisu and his fight, "You shouldn't have interrupted that monster. Now you're a dead man." Sakura turned away from her Sensei and Gai; she didn't want to watch them die. The closest Anbu member gasped at her and quickly grew furious with the younger girl.

"Oh?" the Anbu female weakly called out, Sakura glanced at her with her eyes frightening cold and distant. "At... least… he's… doing some… something." Sakura cocked her thin pink eyebrow and tilted her head at the winded woman.

"I am a genin of the leaf, even as the 'dead heir', I hold no power against that monster. Not even you could win against his lackeys who are hundred times weaker than him." Sakura said coldly, her voice was empty and cold like her eyes, and yet somehow, that purple haired woman thought she heard that faint voice of regret.

"Does that… matter… to you?" she asked as she struggled to sit up, she glared at the little pink haired girl who's teammate laid quietly in front of her. "You are… are a… Genin… of the… the leaf." The woman panted as she finally pushed herself to knees, her mask fell from her face and she glared with everything she had at Sakura.

"Have pride in that! Protect this village… and everyone in it!" Sakura starred wide eyed at the woman, she knew that purple haired woman; she'd seen her before. Laughter erupted from behind the purple haired woman, as she snapped around to look at person; she caught a foot in her face. Pushing her off the ground and skidding to a halt inches from Naruto; Sakura studied the wounded woman before her.

"That was a nice little speech, but like Kitten said. She doesn't have a snow ball chance in hell against Master; he's the Itachi Uchiha of the Haruno clan, just stronger." The orange haired man said spitefully.

"Is that so?" someone asked, the young man didn't have a moment to look behind him, because he couldn't move. "For someone who's more powerful then the Uchiha, you sure did fall for a Nara trick." Shikamaru said calmly from where he leaned against the building. Sakura looked up at him slightly surprised, and then her eyes filled with terror; suddenly she saw one of her kinsmen flicker and she knew who that man was targeting.

"Shikamaru!" Sakura called as she starred wide eyed at the man standing behind Shikamaru, with a kunai in hand. "Look out!" there was no way Shikamaru could block or even doge the attach; he didn't have enough time!

"Die!" the man cried as he brought down the Kunai, aiming for Shikamaru's neck. Shikamaru took a deep breath and sighed in relief when the Kunai stopped inches away from his neck.

"Oh man that was too close." Shikamaru said as he took a step away from the Kunai "Ino don't scare me like that!" Shikamaru snapped out at the orange haired man behind him.

"Sorry Shika," the man said as he held his kunai at his own throat "I had to make sure that Choji would catch me." Sakura gasped as she saw team 10 step out from the alleyway. "So build board brow, what kind of trouble did you get yourself into now?" Ino winked from inside the man's body, Sakura looked completely horrified.

"Ino! Get out of him!" Sakura didn't think twice about throwing a kunai at the man Ino possessed. Ino looked startled but waited for the last second to remove herself from the man's body, Shikamaru and Chochi quickly left the man's side. Sakura's kunai looked like it hit its mark, but Shikamaru wasn't taking any chances. He spread his shadow out to every foreign ninja in the street, he watched as each fought his shadow possession jutsu as they each, one by one, fell into stance that mirrored his own

"Forehead! What the hell was that about! I almost didn't get out in time!" Ino yelled out, furious at the pink haired girl.

"I'd rather deal with you then your funeral!" Sakura snapped back as she readied more kunai and shuriken in her hands.

"What?" to say Team ten was confused would be an understatement that is until they heard a rather creepy laughter.

"What?" Ino and Choji gasped together starring at the alleyway; the man was starring at them; blood dripped down the side of his face. A thin line spread across his eyebrow, his lips twisted into a sinister smile that promised pain and possibly death.

"That's imposable!" Shikamaru called out, he readied his own Kunai, satisfied that the others under his control did too.

"Shikamaru! Ino! Choji! Get your asses out of here! Go get Tsunade-sama! I don't care if you tell her that the village is under attack! Just get your asses there _now_!" Sakura cried out as she through her weapons at the man in the alleyway, he merely batted them away as if he was swatting at flies.

"Now, now, cousin dearest." The man called as he glanced at Sakura, Shikamaru glanced at Sakura quickly; did he hear that man right? "It's not nice to prevent your family from having our fun." And just like that he hit Shikamaru in the stomach throwing him away from the ground, his Jutsu lost its affect and the man continued to kick him into the air.

Shikamaru's blood ran cold when he heard Ino scream; he risked a quick glance at her and saw that Ino and Choji were surrounded by the intruders. He felt a sharp elbow in his chest, forcing him back to earth, Shikamaru hit the ground harshly; there was no way they could fight these strangers and win, they were out classed!

"Sakura?" giggled the woman who held Ino by her hair harshly, "Is that what your called here?" she waved Ino back and forth, the motion reminding Sakura of Kin in the chunin exams.

"So pathetic! You call these people your friends? They don't even _know_ you!" the woman laughed as she picked Ino up by her hair and through her into a nearby building, nearly knocking out the wall with the force of her landing. Sakura started at the sound of Ino's coughing and nearly ran to her friend when she saw the blood dribbling down her mouth.

"Is this really the village you're so proud of?" a man called, a smile splitting his pale face in half as a chuckle erupted from his chest "Their weak!"

"Even their genin couldn't stand up to one of our five year olds!" another man laughed as he through Choji to the ground, Sakura was embarrassed and ashamed. She looked away from Ino's blue orbs that almost begged her for help. "I mean seriously! Why is this village so revered by everyone else? It's weak!" Sakura gritted her teeth and clenched her fists tightly. Stiffly Shikamaru stood, slowly Choji fallowed and then Ino stood as she whipped the blood from her chin. Shikamaru tried his Jutsu on the man that attached him a second time, Choji attached the man who stood next to the woman who throw Ino.

"If Sakura doesn't want to fight you, then I will." Spat Ino as she braced herself against the wall. "I swore to protect this village and all who live here; I will not break this promise!" Ino glared at the woman who through her, "Even if it kills me, I'll protect my home!" Ino charged at the smug woman, her fist pulled back and ready to strike "and my friends!" the woman laughed and kicked Ino in the chest, throwing her back words against the wall again; again Ino spit up blood.

"You're a hundred years too early _little girl_," the woman called smugly, she didn't notice the Anbu member at her feet. "If your Anbu couldn't take me on, what hope do you have? In our home, you don't even register as ninja, to my calculations," The woman smiled smugly down at Ino, "Your barely even level with a civilian!" Ino glared hatefully up at the woman and charged again.

"Again? Is this all you've got?" the woman took a half step back words to kick the blond charging her, but a sharp pain nicked the back of her ankle and she couldn't block the furious blond. Ino punched and then kicked, tossing the woman away from her to land in the middle of the street.

"You shouldn't piss off leaf shinobi," Ino said smugly as she pulled the Anbu man to his feet, he leaned heavily against her panting but the woman didn't notice and she didn't care. "We have a foul temper." The man beside her chuckled, even if his mask still covered his face and even if he could barely stand, he would still fight with everything he had left; the woman didn't even look at Ino. She was busy trying to heal her ankle that the Anbu man had cut; he had cut her tendon with a _poisoned_ blade; that alone made things complicated.

"You bitch," the woman seethed, she glared at Ino through her long blood red hair, her ankle as healed as it was going to get. "You just signed your death warrant!" Ino gulped as she felt the woman's fury come off her in waves.

"Not good." Ino whispered under her breath, "She's serious about killing us." The woman stood and charged, Ino dragged the man on her shoulder out of the way, praying to at least get him out of the way. But she didn't know the woman could flicker, and before she could blink Ino was starring into very angry yellow eyes. Ino looked down at her chest, the woman's kunai was plunged hilt deep in her chest; Ino couldn't even feel her heart beat, but she could hear it. That counted as something right? So long as she could hear her heart, then she wasn't going to die… right? But the beats were getting slower and slower with each one; she really was going to die…

"Die you worthless tramp!" snarled the woman twisting her hand, Ino coughed, blood spilt from her mouth, covering her chin and hitting the woman in the face. "Now for you," the woman glared at the Anbu man hanging onto Ino's side, she ripped her kunai out of Ino's chest and raised it to plunge into the man beside her.

Only Ino tightened her grip on the man's hand and through him at the last possible second towards Choji, who caught said Anbu a little unsteadily. The woman's hand hit empty air and she stared shocked that she had managed to miss; Ino begged her chakra to harden her fist into stone. She didn't have Sakura's complete control over Chakra to do what she wanted, so she guessed that when her hand no longer wanted to move out from its fisted state, and in seconds too, that she had forced enough chakra to her hand. She drew it back and punched the woman squarely in her jaw; it had enough force behind it to force the woman through the building and to the street on the other side.

"Stupid bitch, don't mess with Leaf." Ino gasped as she fell forward, "We'll beat you yet... even if… we're… out… classed…" Ino didn't know that the ground could feel so warm, or that it could be so gentile, she smiled as she smelt the smoke from her sensei's cigarette; it's about time he got there. She could vaguely hear someone call to her, but all Ino could do was remember when team ten first met Asuma-sensei.

"Ino!" Sakura's voice rang out into the air; she saw the blond girl fall forward, there was no one closes enough to catch her. What the hell was she supposed to do? If she left Naruto, then one of her cousins would kill him, but she wouldn't be fast enough to catch Ino if she dragged Naruto with her…

…

…

Part two: Searching Blindly

…

…

Sakura never thought she'd be so happy to see Asuma and Kuranai in her entire life. But then she heard Asuma call out for Ino, she saw Shikamaru and Choji practically fly to their side, calling frantically for Ino. Each of their voices got louder and louder until Sakura couldn't hear anything else and then everything quieted, the silence was even worse than the desperate shouting.

Sakura couldn't stand it, in her head she heard Ino calling for her, she could see Ino when they first met; Sakura saw Ino everywhere, her azure blue eyes glowing and cheerful and determined and then Sakura saw that desperate glance from Ino moments ago, Ino was begging her for help, she knew she was out matched and she needed help. When Ino glanced at Sakura to silently ask, Sakura turned away from her and in that split second, Ino's fate was sealed.

It was her fault that Ino was dead, her fault, she didn't want to get involved, she didn't want Ino to get hurt, she didn't want anyone she knew to get hurt. Because once some she knew got hurt by someone by her clan, then that clan member wouldn't stop until her friend was dead. She couldn't do it anymore; Sakura couldn't live with that on her heart. She'd rather die than let anyone she knew get killed by her clan!

"Sakura," the voice was soft and distance, that was all Sakura needed. She would know that voice for the rest of her life, Sakura snapped. Everyone watched as Sakura's chakra exploded from her, forcing Naruto and the Anbu woman to fly through the air like a kite and land like a rock; Lee and Neji barely had time to catch them. Sakura's chakra wound itself around her like it was a snake; it just wound itself tighter and tighter until Sakura's voice tore itself from her throat, forcing itself into the ears of the shinobi who gathered in the street; no one would ever forget that scream.

Kakashi looked up sharply at the sound and thought that for a moment that Naruto had accidently let out the Kiyobi, but then he saw the pink hair and realized that the chakra wasn't orange or red, it was emerald and azure blue. The immense chakra was coming from Sakura, his small little Sakura; he could see her in his mind's eye even now as she screamed out in pain and sorrow.

"Sensei," Sakura whispered in his mind…

"Sensei," Sakura giggled…

"Sensei," Sakura sobbed…

"Sensei," Sakura called irritated at him…

"Kakashi-Sensei!" Sakura laughed, he could see her smile. Her joy was over flowing, turning everything around her white and pure like snow; she was small and frail, she needed to be protected, small flowers shouldn't have to fight and die…

"Sensei!" Sakura called again, "Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura whined. How the hell could this power be coming from someone so small and frail? Someone who couldn't kill to save her own life? Sakura was all bark and no bite, she was his favorite student; she was warm, calm and gentile, there was no way this chakra could belong to her. This horrifying chakra that called for blood and death, this Chakra that mirrored the Kiyobi's fury; but echoed with sadness that could break the hearts of even the coldest demon.

Naruto woke to the voice of one very enraged Kiyobi, when he opened his eyes; Naruto couldn't see anything but a green-blue haze. He couldn't hear anything because of the buzzing in his ears, but he could feel two people grip on to him tightly as if afraid that they'd lose him. He tried to ask the Kiyobi why he was so angry, only to realize that he wasn't angry, no he was anything but angry, for once in his life, Naruto realized that the Kiyobi wasn't angry, in fact the Kiyobi was scared. Naruto tried to understand why he was scared, when he realized that the ringing in his ears was actually screams. He turned towards the object that was making such a horrifying sound; and felt his breath hitch in his throat

Sakura was in the middle of a swirling green and blue chakra that was both frighteningly furious and terrifyingly sad. Sakura was gripping her head tightly as if in pain, tears leaked from her tightly shut eyes and she was kneeling on the ground, half bent over her knees in pain, her pastel pink hair flew around her head like an uncontrolled wind.

"Sakura," Naruto whispered, he was sure he'd seen this before, but he wasn't sure were. Naruto looked to the two who were holding onto him tightly and saw Neji and Lee, both badly beaten like they had just taken on Gai at the same time. Then Naruto saw team eight holding on to each other desperately just some feet beyond Neji and up the street. He looked back to the other side of the street, just beyond Lee, he saw a bunch of strangers covering their heads almost desperately and yet, all those red heads were smiling as if what was happening to Sakura was a good thing, then he saw some Anbu members crowding around Team ten and Kuranai all crouched over something almost desperately.

Naruto briefly wondered where Ino was, that is until he saw the blood and long platinum blond hair on the ground. He would know those clothes and hair anywhere, even a million years from now, he would still know who that was clutched desperately to Asuma's chest with a blood dripping down her chin.

That was when he realized what had happened, team ten got involved and Ino died because she tried to save Sakura.

"SAKURA—!" Naruto turned at the terrified cry and saw Tsunade and Shizune crouched next to Gai and Kakashi, Kakashi looked like crap; although Gai wasn't much better, at least he wasn't black and blue like Kakashi.

"Sakura—! Wake up!" Tsunade cried out, she was terrified that she just might lose Sakura, she couldn't do that. She couldn't lose another student! But then the wave of Chakra changed, it changed color and became softer, its fury evening out and calming. Shizune tried to hold Tsunade back, but the other shinobi weren't helping by gripping on to her so tightly! Tsunade stared at her student in the center of what looked like a rainbow of chakra, if she looked close enough she could almost see people in that chakra, no, wait! She _was_ seeing people that chakra!

Gently and calmly the image of Ino appeared before Sakura's weeping form, she was dressed in a plain white dress that hitched itself at her waist so it could dance around her ankles. She had wide bellowing sleeves that danced about her elbows gently to a secret wind inside the spinning chakra.

"What the—? Sakura? What are you doing here?" Ino asked, she didn't appear hurt at all, like she'd never been stabbed in the first place. "you weren't supposed to die ya' know." Ino scolded, Sakura looked up at her with wide almost terrified eyes.

"INO!" Sakura cried out, her tears spilled forward without care and she clutched at herself desperately.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have turned away from you! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It's all my fault! If I had just stood up to my clan then you wouldn't have died! It's all my fault! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sakura begged, Ino looked down at Sakura and raised her eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" Ino asked Sakura looked back up at Ino, desperation and pain in her expression. "It's not your fault that I died; it's mine for being stubborn and not giving up." Ino said a smile on her face.

"I'm the weakest person in my team, my family is good for integrating, not fighting." Ino bent before Sakura, a smile on her face and in her sky blue eyes.

"The only thing I'm mad at you for is…" Sakura waited, her breath held, "FOR BRINGING ME BACK FROM THE OTHER WORLD!" Sakura gasped as Ino hit her in the head, only to find out that she couldn't make physical contact; so she settled for yelling.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" cried Ino, "I was ready to die to keep my village safe _and_ to protect you! Why won't you let me die?! Stupid build board brow!"

"Because I don't want you to die you damn pig!" Sakura cried out, "You're the sister I never had! I don't want to lose you or anyone else! I couldn't live with myself if people precious to me were killed by my clan! Their heartless and cruel! They'd think nothing of whipping out a village for the hell of it!" Sakura screamed out, everyone she knew, and hundreds more that she didn't, starred at her in shock and then edged away from the red and orange haired men and women who circled their way around Sakura and her mass of Chakra.

"If they kill anyone from Konoha or from one of the villages that we have treaties with, then I'm labeled as a traitor and I'll have to leave Konoha forever! I don't want to leave Konoha! I don't want to leave my friends and parents! I want to live and die for my village! But if my family becomes involved then that'll never happen! I love my village and I would die for it! But I'd die if I lost my presses people because of my clan!" Sakura gasped, her throat going raw with the screaming she was doing. Tsunade starred at Sakura in shock, would she really be that influenced by the actions of just _one_ of her family members? She didn't even know that Sakura belonged to a clan…

"So you brought me back so you wouldn't have to leave the village?" Ino roared, "Well stupid! In case you forgot! Shinobi live and die! That's what it means to be Shinobi! You live for your village and you _die_ for your village!"

"I know that! But I can't lose you! You're too important to lose! I can't let you die!" Sakura cried out. "I know that as shinobi we are but tools for our village and that we live and die to protect it even from our closest friends! But I don't know what I'd do if I lost you! Or anyone else! I can't lose anyone else! I'd rather die than let anything happen to this village and my friends! Do you hear me Ino?! I'd rather die than see the village and those I love get HURT!"

"So why don't you?" a voice called, Sakura and Ino turned towards it in shock.

"Don't be stupid mister!" Ino snapped "Sakura won't die now! She's not that weak!" Sakura stared at Ikisu, silently asking him to explain further.

"We'll leave the village and your presses people alone, if you come back with us." Sakura's eyes lit up in understanding and she looked hesitant, glancing at Ino and Naruto as if they could make up her decision for her. "What the matter? You just said you would die for your village and friends, if you return home with us you'll be doing just that."

"SHUT UP!" snapped Ino as Tsunade yelled profanities at the man.

"If you come and die for you sister, then you'll be dyeing to protect your village and friends, we'll even give them protectors to make sure they don't get killed until their too old to move anymore." Ikisu said calmly, his hands at his sides. "All you have to do is put Blondie there back in her body, this way you can't back out and blame us for her death."

"Do you swear on your life?" Sakura asked, drying her eyes with her wrist.

"Don't even think about it!" screeched Ino and Tsunade together.

"Yes, I swear on my life." Ikisu said without hesitance or thought.

"Don't you dare do it!" Screamed Ino as she tried to grab for Sakura again, but fell through her once more. "Don't belief that man! He's worse than that snake! He'll go back on his word! I've seen it Sakura! In the other world he has a whole river of people that he's slaughtered ruthlessly!" Ino cried out, Sakura only looked at her. Her eyes weren't overly emotional but they weren't cold either.

"I know." Sakura said it as if she was saying the sky was blue or that grass was green.

"Sakura," Tsunade was horrified and even terrified, "Don't do it!" Tsunade screamed, Sakura looked at her startled. "If you fallow this man I'll never forgive you! I'll label you as a missing nin!" everyone was quiet, Sakura was only a genin, but one who apparently was a power house. If Tsunade labeled her as a missing-nin, she'd have hunter-nin after her worse than the Akatsuki did.

"Okay." Sakura whispered her consent, Tsunade starred at Sakura, her mouth a gap.

"What?" Tsunade whispered in disbelief, did she hear correctly?

"Okay." Sakura repeated softly. "Label me a missing-nin; let's see how many Anbu come back to you after dealing with my clan." Tsunade starred at Sakura, the girl hid her eyes behind her hair; she didn't want to see her teacher's disappointment.

"I'm not giving them permission to kill anyone from my village _or_ the allies of my village, but if the shinobi that chase me and get heavily wounded and then die by the elements or animals, then technically it's not my clan's fault and I can't hold them responsible. And knowing my clan, they'd remove their enemy's legs and leave them to fend for themselves." Ino scowled at Sakura, since when was she so damn cold about everyone?

"If you leave with that monster then I'm going back to the spirit world!" snapped out Ino, Sakura snapped around to Ino, her green eyes blazing and furious.

"I'll cut your hair!" Sakura snapped out, Ino paused and glared down at Sakura.

"Come again? What was that?" Ino asked, praying she heard wrong.

"I'll shave your head bald!" Sakura snapped out again "You can't be pretty without your hair!"

"Stupid bill board brow!" Ino snapped out harshly, twining her fingers around a lock of her hair, "I'll still be beautiful even if my hair is completely gone!"

"Then I'll miss up your face!" Sakura shot back; Ino looked positively horrified, "You can't be beautiful without that face of yours!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Ino cried out.

"Watch me." Sakura raised a kunai up in front of her, it was then that the chakra surrounding them whipped out and snatched up Ino's body from Asuma before he could even stop it. Ino screeched out in terror as she saw her body floating within the wall of Chakra.

"You wouldn't!" she said, her eyes frantically swiveling back and forth between her body and her childhood friend. Sakura only nodded and took a step forward. "No! Wait! Okay! Just don't hurt me!" Sakura lowered her hand with a smile her face, as if she just tricked Ino.

"Bill board brow!" Ino growled out angry once more, "You forgot that I can't come back to a body that's missing a heart!"

"But it's completely healed, Ino-pig." Sakura said pleasantly; Ino looked back at her body.

"Really?" she asked as she moved closer to examine it, "hay! Your right! I don't see anything wrong with my body at all!" and then everything hit her, "No! Wait!"

"A promise is a promise Ino-pig," and with that Sakura pushed Ino back into her body, Ino let out a startled and angry scream and Sakura's wall of Chakra swung tightly back around Sakura; Holding Ino gently before her. With a sad smile on her face, Sakura gently laid Ino's body on the ground, she turned towards Ikisu who took the chance and quickly moved himself to stand just a few feet away from the swirling Chakra encased Sakura.

"By the way Ikisu, that deal of ours, it affects allies too. And if you break your promise then the annihilation of the clan is on your head." And with that the chakra that surrounded Sakura was gone and she fainted into Ikisu's waiting arms.

"Now that's just rude kitten." Ikisu said softly, his family members quickly surrounded him and the blond girl on the ground. "It's not nice adding another condition in your favor and leaving nothing for me to bargain with."

"Master!" someone growled out unhappily

"Hana was captured," someone informed him

"There's no word from Rin, Jiin or Kinta." Someone else said

"Hmm, okay. There's nothing we can do here. If they can't escape on their own then we can't waist man power on saving them, not after getting what we wanted." Ikisu said as he gathered Sakura up into his arms gently. Of course it was then that Tsunade charged them, she shattered the ground were the team stood just seconds before she landed her fist.

"Bastards!" screeched Tsunade, "Capture them! Don't let them escape!" the waves of shinobi that hit the circle of Haruno's seemed to be never ending, and yet not one of the many ninja seemed to do any damage, if anything the leaf nin were getting hurt trying to stop them. That is of course Tsunade fought right alongside her ninja, the Haruno's seemed to know to avoid anything she through at them. It wasn't long before they were out of the village and Tsunade was dragged back to tend to the wounded by Shizune.

"We're sending a team out as soon as possible!" Tsunade snapped out once she was in her office, she grabbed a bunch of files, completely ignoring Shizune, and tried to put together a team that would be able to get her student back without getting killed in the process.

"Tsunade-sama." The soft voice made Tsunade look up sharply, she would know that voice anywhere and it was disturbing to see the young man who was so used to smiling to be standing before her desk looking like he just watched his best friend die.

"Not going to happen Naruto." Tsunade said, her anger evaporated in front of this young man who sat before her desk. "You're not going after her."

"Tsunade-sama," Tsunade looked up to see Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, Asuma, Ino's father, Iruka and Gai all standing within her office. It was Shikamaru who had spoken to her, "lady Tsunade please let us fallow after them. We are the closest ones to Sakura; her family won't do anything too drastic to us."

"How do you figure?" Tsunade asked slightly interested,

"Because if they hurt us too much Sakura will back out, and then they'd be screwed." Naruto said calmly, his blue eyes so dead looking that Tsunade feared they'd haunt her dreams.

"Hmm," Tsunade thought about it, and then shook her head almost sadly. She wasn't about to send out a mostly genin team to take on a bunch of people who could possibly disable them and then leave them for dead. This team standing before her weren't even ready to take on Anbu, which is precisely what that Haruno clan had done; and not only did they win without a scratch or any indication that they had a struggle, they had completely took out seven of her Anbu squads for the next year. These four genin, two chunin and two Jonin weren't a damn match for them; _she_ couldn't even land a hit on them. "No."

"With all due respect Hokage-sama," Iruka spook up.

"We're not asking." Naruto said as he looked into Tsunade's eyes, "With or without your permission, I'm leaving. I can't speak for everyone else, but I know that for me, I'm not going to give up because you said so." Tsunade stared at Naruto with wide eyes.

"Excuse me?" she gasped, "Who do you think you are?"

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I never leave a friend behind, expersherly if she got manipulated into leaving so she could save her best friend's life." Naruto snapped back. "I'm leaving and you can't stop me, I'm going to bring Sakura back; kicking and screaming if I have to."

"She left of her own free will!" snapped Tsunade, "She's not Sasuke!" Tsunade paused as she saw the hurt in Naruto's eyes, she sighed to keep herself from exploding. "Her mind wasn't tricked by a curse seal." Tsunade said more softly, she slumped in her chair and sighed heavily.

"You can leave if you want, but you won't get any back up from us. We need all our forces here to repair and to make sure there aren't any more attaches, we need all Jonin and Chunin we have." It was quiet in her office and for a moment Tsunade thought that they had left, but the soft thump of someone's back on her door told her otherwise. Tsunade glanced up at the men in her office, she wished she hadn't; they all looked like they were about to leave anyways.

"I may not have known Sakura on a personal note," started Asuma "But she saved Ino, my student, she brought her back from death without so much as a scratch on her to prove what she had done."

"My daughter grew up with Sakura," Mr. Yakamaka started "and it's thanks to Sakura that I don't have to berry my daughter. Ino would chase after Sakura if she could, but she's in a coma right now, I would like to take her place on this team to save Sakura Haruno."

"I can't send some of my best Jonin to retrieve a hesitant genin who's off to kill herself." Tsunade said calmly; when Naruto tried to speak up, Tsunade held her hand up effectively silencing him.

"What I can do is send the ninja closest to Sakura Haruno off duty, effectively putting them on vacation. So that they can rest and think." Naruto stared at Tsunade; she tried so hard not to smile. "I can give you one week, after that you tell me how you feel and we'll talk about it some more; okay?" Naruto all but jumped over her desk and kissed her.

"Yeah! You're perfectly clear!" Naruto's face split in two with his smile.

"Man," Shikamaru whined "If not for Ino, I wouldn't be in this, what a drag."

"Oh, Shikamaru-kun," Shikamaru froze and glanced at Ino's father; he never knew someone could smile so cheerfully and still make him want to hide. "You'll do well to think hard on this _Vacation_, because if I find out that our dear, sweet Sakura-chan didn't come back because you were too lazy again…" The Yakamaka man let his threat hang in the air. "I'm sure you get the picture."

"Yes sir, I'll think real hard about bring her back." Shikamaru said as he inched a little closer to Choji. Asuma started laughing; he clapped Ino's father on his shoulder and grabbed Iruka by his.

"Well I think that there are few people in the hospital that would love to see us, don't you think boys?" Asuma said, a smile on his face, he turned and pushed both men right out the door. It didn't take long before the rest of the boys started laughing and left the room as well.

"What do you think, boys and girls?" Tsunade asked as she looked out her window.

"I think our boys are in for one hell of a hike." The Nara head said lazily as he yawned tiredly.

"Don't be thinking of just your boy, Nara-chan." A woman snapped out mockingly, "My baby brother has decided that come hell or high water he's leaving with Naruto and his team! I had to knock him out and tie him up to make sure he didn't leave too early!" Tsunade chuckled, she could see the parent's heads outside of her window at her current placement, she doubted the boys noticed their parents, or guardians for that matter. Tsunade glanced at Jiraya at the edge of her window; a smile curved his lips gently.

"Well, what about the rest of you, any trouble with the little ones?"

"Naruto's always trouble." Jiraya said with a smirk and a glance at Tsunade, the setting sun made her look as if she were glowing.

"Shino's already waiting at the gate." Said the boy's father calmly.

"Hinata didn't even say anything to me, she just grabbed her bag and left." Hinata's father sighed from his place on the roof. "What am I going to do with that girl? She can't stand up to Neji and she thinks she can handle those men who took Sakura?" Hiyashi let out a heavy sigh, rubbing at the cut on his arm, he didn't want Hinata chasing after those ninja; more so that one of them had been able to cut him as he had tried to at least immobilize one of them.

"At least you have a second heiress," someone else countered,

"Not if this keeps up, my youngest is trying her damnest to be braver then her sister. It's becoming a problem at home." Hiyashi heard some chuckles but ignored them for favor of groaning instead. "Neji just left a note; I didn't even see him leave until just now."

"I'd prefer it if the girls would leave with Jiraya," Tsunade said calmly. She chuckled at the resound and echoing _'what?!'_ "Oh don't worry; he's not leaving until Ino can. I'm not stupid, I'm not going to let Jiraya leave with just one girl with him, and He's going with the foulest mood swinging bunch that I can find. This way he can't do anything."

"Tsunade, these girls are by fare to young for me," Jiraya said as he edged closer to the edge of the roof. "Besides, all those girls have very scary father's, I couldn't do anything even if wanted too. The girl's most likely take after their father's and kill me even if I am innocent of something."

"Oh you didn't hear all of the girls going with you." Tsunade said calmly "Hinata Hyuuga, Tenten, Ino Yakamaka, Anko, Kuranai _and_ Shizune." Jiraya groaned.

"What's with the scary ladies who like sharp things? Does Anko have to come with?" Jiraya asked, to which he received a kunai between his feet. "See! This is why I don't want her to come! She's too violent!" Jiraya whined pointing at the Kinochi standing directly above Tsunade, Anko smirked and twirled another Kunai around her finger.

"Is she too violent because she always interrupts your research or because she completely screws up your idea of the perfect Kinochi?" Tsunade asked sweetly.

"Yes! I mean no! I mean, oh come on you guys! Don't just sit there! Don't let her come!"

"I think Anko's sweet, besides with her around we'll always know when it's safe for a bath." Kuranai said with a smile, Hana laughed as everyone else chuckled. Jiraya groaned and excused himself. "By the way, did anyone notice when Hiyashi left?"

"I think it was when Tsunade said that the second team was going to consist of the all the girls on the various teams that are leaving." Shizune answered.

"For a man who likes to keep everyone away, he sure does chase down his eldest quickly when he's worried." Tsunade mussed.

"I also think he threatened half the boys in her graduating class, I know Kiba got an ear full." Hana laughed, Shino's father also nodded his head in agreement.

"I wonder if they're all going to be okay…" Shizune whispered, "Maybe we should ask another village for help?" she asked as she turned to Tsunade, the busty blond heaved a sigh.

"Yeah, I'll send out the letters in the morning." Tsunade sighed in return…

(At the village gate)

By the time Naruto got to the village gate, he saw more people there then he thought were going to be there. There was Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Neji were all standing in front of the gate. Lee, Choji, Hinata and Tenten stood off to the side with Hinata's father standing just behind them, Iruka, Asuma, Kuranai and even the purple haired Anbu woman from before standing on a pair of crutches all stood off to the side.

"About time you go here slow poke," Kiba mocked with his hands behind his head and Akamaru in his coat.

"Geez kid, how long did it take for you to realizes the hint?" Naruto looked over at the sound of Jiraya's voice and saw that his new teammates' parents were all standing there as well. "I was about to go after you." Naruto chuckled, waved and charged on a head, shouting back at everyone to fallow him.

"Awe geez! Naruto they went this way!" Shikamaru snapped out pointing into the forest but ended up fallowing Naruto just so he could drag him into the forest.

"You think they're going to come back alright?" Tenten asked, glancing slyly at Hinata.

"Yes, Naruto and everyone will defiantly come back." Hinata said confidently, "and so will Sakura." Tenten chuckled and wrapped her arm around Hinata, pulling the younger girl off and back into the city of their village.

"Well since we can't leave until Ino wakes up! Let's go get dinner!"

"You're not about to go after Naruto and try to kill him for capturing Hinata's heart are you?" Hana asked sweetly as she crossed her arms and smiled smugly at Hiyashi.

"Of course not, don't be stupid Inuzaka-san." Snapped Hiyashi as he marched after his eldest daughter, his mind full of lectures he could crowed into his daughter's head by midnight.

"That's good because he's blinder then a bat!" Hana called after him. "And so is Hinata," she whispered softly to herself as she watched her baby brother argue with Naruto.


	2. Chapter 2: Choosing the heir

Chapter two: choosing the heir

…

…

At the end of the two weeks Naruto and his teammates had run into Sakura's family members almost five times, in none of those times did they see Sakura. Sure they caught a glimpse of her pink hair behind one or two of the family members; she never turned to them even once. They had traveled through sound, grass, came dangerously close to lightening and were currently trying not to die in the land of mist.

"These guys travel way to damn fast!" panted Kiba from where he laid on the soggy ground. "It's been two weeks and the only lands we haven't been through are Sand and rain! Do they even rest?"

"It's possible that they rest for short periods and then run for even longer periods." Shikamaru panted out "Chasing these guys is becoming more of a problem then I thought!"

"Yeah! They should've made the Chunin exams about catching up to the Haruno's instead!" called Naruto from where he rested.

"Idiot! If they did that none of us would have past!" snapped Shikamaru. "I don't think even Asuma-sensei could keep up with them! Their insane!"

"Hay, you guys hear that?" Naruto asked, everyone froze and held their voices. After a minute or two of nothing but the deafening silence of the misty forest around them, everyone released their breath.

"Oh great, he's hallucinating." Neji commented calmly

"Don't scare us like that loser! The last thing we need is enemy shinobi killings us for doing nothing!" snapped out Kiba

"Damn it Naruto, you scared me half to death!" snapped Shikamaru, but Naruto only sat up quickly. "Troublesome…" grumbled Shikamaru with some other various curses, But Naruto didn't seem to hear them, he just kept tilting his head this way and that as if trying to figure out which way the sound was coming from.

"No seriously, it's coming from over there!" upon closer inspection, the team realized that Naruto's eyes were glowing red. Quickly they chased after Naruto calling after him worriedly, they didn't have to go far to catch up to him, just a couple of yards farther into the mist.

"Damn it Naruto!" whatever Shikamaru was going to say died in his voice as he starred at the scene before him.

"Wow," Kiba whispered, everyone else couldn't do anything but nod in agreement.

Before them spread out a huge mirror like lake, reflecting the mist like it was a wall before them. All around its edges were blooming cherry blossoms, their flowers scattered on the wind, gently twisting and dancing in the wind that flowed around the lake; and there in the very center were two forms dancing on the lake's surface. For a moment it looked like they were fighting, but then the boys saw the large ribbons of silk that fallowed after the two dancing people.

"Sakura," Naruto whispered, and then everything clicked and the boys all but ran out onto the lake surface trying to bring the girl back. But then they realized what the sound on the air was, what Naruto had heard. It was the sound of two soft, gentile voices singing together.

"Beautiful isn't it?" called a voice, the boys immanently dropped into defensive stances, only to see an old woman and a young woman standing before them. "The heirs are equal in every manner of the word this time." The old woman cooed as she looked out over the lake.

"Umm, heirs?" Shikamaru asked, relaxing slightly.

"Yes, you are the boys that Iki-chan has been telling me so much about right?" the old woman spook softly as she turned and sat down on her seat that the young woman pulled out only seconds before from her scroll.

"Iki-chan?" Kiba whispered to Lee looking like he couldn't decide to laugh or gag.

"You're the boys from Leaf who followed him all around the nation trying to take back Sakura Haruno." The old woman smiled as each of the said boys dropped back into their defensive stances.

"I'll take that as a yes." The woman giggled, "All though you really shouldn't be so wiry, I'm only a slow old woman."

"My grandmother still beats my uncle for snapping at his daughter." Replied Neji softly, so he knew not to piss-off little old ladies from ninja clans, that didn't mean everyone else, did.

"Could you kindly tell us as to why Naruto's demon has taken such a liking to whatever it is that your heirs are doing please?" Lee asked, the old woman glanced at him from her seat.

"Demon?" she whispered softly, in the blink of an eye she was using Kiba as a seat as she stared into Naruto's crimson eyes. "Well what a pleasant surprise! You're the Kitsune, I've heard stories about you young man!"

"Excuse me!" Kiba snapped, "But last time I checked I wasn't a chair!"

"Oh? Well maybe you should check again because clearly I'm sitting on you." The old woman laughed softly.

"But your heavy!" gasped Kiba, Neji slapped his forehead; the unspoken _idiot_ rang throughout the air, as if everyone's though was somehow tangible here.

"Oh? I'm heavy am I?" the young woman approached Kiba and swiftly placed the old woman's chair onto his back, which made him immeadnelty collapse to the ground. "I'll get off you if you can lift me into the air." Kiba promptly gave Akamaru a food pill and with his help tilted the seat into the lake with the old woman still in it and promptly retreated to hide behind Neji and Lee. Naruto was holding the old woman in one arm and was holding her chair inches from the surface of the lake.

"I'd wish you'd stop and think young man," the old woman chided softly, "If that chair disturbed the lake then both of my precious granddaughters would be killed!"

"Sorry," Kiba replied softly and half heartedly.

"Now Kitsune-kun, to prevent the chair from waking the lake up you took its place on the lake surface." The old woman almost sounded sad, the young woman took a step forward and pulled the chair away from the lake. Again the old woman jumped and landed softly into her chair. "I hope you can pick out your teammate young man," the old woman said softly, "because only you can step onto the lake and keep both girls alive and only _you_ can choose just who Sakura Haruno is."

Kiyobi possessed Naruto nodded his head and turned towards the two dancing girls. He took one step towards them and something strange happened; Kiyobi became separated from Naruto almost entirely. Naruto's body flew towards shore and the young woman caught him sliding to a stop and collapsing to the ground just before the old woman.

"What the hell?!" gasped Kiba.

"What was that?" asked a startled Shikamaru starring at the younger form of Naruto Uzumaki. The woman smiled gently at the tiny Naruto and wrapped him tighter into her arms; she gently lifted him and stood; only to sit gracefully next to the old woman. Naruto cuddled closer to the woman and she smiled gently down at him, like she was his mother, the woman gently brushed his wild blond hair out of his eyes.

"What happened to him?" Shikamaru asked, as he glanced back and forth between the glowing Naruto on the lake and the small child Naruto held tightly in the woman's arms.

"The Kiyobi's body can't physically be on the lake," the old woman said calmly as she ruffled Naruto's hair gently, smiling just as warmly as the woman who held him; Like she was a proud grandmother. "Only his spirit may step onto the lake."

"Okay, but that doesn't help the fact that Naruto's now eight!" Neji argued, slightly startled at the sight before him. "The Kiyobi shouldn't even be able to leave Naruto's body!"

"Don't be silly child," the old woman said calmly as she smiled up at the team before her. "The Kiyobi is made up of two parts: anger, hatred, fear and sorrow are its more renowned side because they cause his more violent actions, but his softer side is made up of love, kindness, joy, happiness and the desire to keep safe everything that he loves. The softer side is what has been keeping it sealed for so long, what you're seeing now is the Kiyobi's two sides combined together to form one soul."

"Okay so why did Naruto turn into an eight year old who can't wear his twelve year old version's clothes?" asked Kiba as he starred at the sleeping boy.

"Because this is his true form." The younger woman said softly, "in his heart he is only a child. Small and scared, he is hurt easily, but he heals quickly; so he never shows just how deep the wound truly was." The woman smiled as Naruto yawned and snuggled closer to her, apparently feeling cold. The woman chuckled and wrapped Naruto with her shawl that was rimmed in fur. "Sleep tight little one." She whispered into his ear, she squeezed him tightly, then turned her eyes back to the lake; a light in her green eyes that wasn't there before.

"Happy to have your child back Marin?" asked the old woman as she smiled coyly at the lake.

"Hmm, all of my babies are dying; there is nothing left for me to hold onto." The young woman said smiling as if she were hiding a secret, the old woman chuckled and watched the scene before her almost lazily.

"You boys better keep watching, otherwise you'll end up missing something." The old woman said calmly, and the boys did too.

"Long ago before the lands became the five nations, there was a time of great wars that never ended. One day a man showed up, his eyes were ringed and he was quickly called 'the sage of six paths' this name came from his power becoming so great, he needed six bodies." The old woman spoke softly as she watched the two girls on the lake dance around the Kiyobi, he didn't have to go far to get their attention.

"Yeah, we all know that story." Shikamaru said with a slight glance.

"Yes, the sage was the one who is often referred to as the 'father of the shinobi world' is he not?" replied Lee.

"He's just a myth you guys, there's no proof that he actually exists." Neji said, his Byakugan activated as he kept watch on their surroundings.

"Then you clearly don't know the whole story." Marin said softly, the old woman nodded her head.

"The sage had a younger sister, named Haru; it is from her line that we are born." The old woman said softly

"Wait a second," Shikamaru started, "There's no mention of a younger sister in any of the stories of the sage of six paths."

"Of course not," agreed the old woman with a nod of her head. "She was what is called a shadow; you see 'shadows' are those who fallow a single person around their entire life—"

"Yeah we all know what a shadow is." Answered Kiba with a glare at Shikamaru, who pretended not to notice.

"No not that kind of shadow, although, there is little difference in the case of Haru and her brother." Marin said calmly "Haru was always hidden away, watching almost everything from the shadows. Her whole purpose in life was to take her brother's place in death. If someone came up to him while he was unable to protect himself, then she would use her very own body to protect him."

"Who would do that to their children?" whispered Shino.

"How can anyone chose one child over the other?" Lee spoke softly.

"It's not so different from the Hyuuga clan," Neji said calmly. "Branch members often use their very bodies to protect the main house."

…

Kiyobi watched as the twins danced around on the surface of the water, one was calm; a smile danced on her face but didn't show in her eyes. Although her movements were fluid and graceful, there was something about her that he didn't like; like she was a little too natural for the given role of his mistress, but the other one.

Kiyobi looked at the other girl as she moved around him stiffly; her movements were jerky and uncaringly empty, like she wasn't standing on the lake. Her emerald eyes were unnaturally empty and cold, her face was like a mask and she was anything but graceful like her twin who clearly had practice. This younger twin dressed red kimonos didn't move like she cared to gain his favor, she moved like she was in a battle, like she was just trying to survive the next attach and the one after that and the one after that. Kiyobi couldn't help but to smile as she ducked under the swift swipe of a kunai from the elder twin. The younger twin acted just like his first master, the woman who called him just so she could have a sparring session. She had only called for his help in a fight once and neither one of them had ever stopped regretting it after words.

"_Ah! You're a kitsune!"_ Kiyobi heard the woman's soft voice in his head, _"I was wondering if you'd like to spare with me!" _Kiyobi watched as the twins separated with a kick and slash, just as they had done centuries ago… _"If you don't like the spare then I'll never summon you again, if you do like it then I'll call you every week for a session, is that okay with you?" _the elder twin kicked at the younger, catching her in the ribs and forcing her back a few feet.

Kiyobi frowned at the elder girl, that was not a part of the dance; this girl was improvising because the younger almost slit her throat. Kiyobi watched as the two girls clashed and realized that something was wrong; the elder twin was slowly moving out of the dance and the younger was simply protecting herself. The younger girl didn't have a clue how to fight this girl who was trained her whole life in this one dance and knows nothing else. As the twins locked themselves again, both their hands locked in blocking the other, the Kiyobi stepped forward, he'd had enough of this unbalanced fight. The girl's separated rather harshly; both landing on their shoulders and rolling onto their feet, crouching into a defensive attach position.

"That's enough," his voice rang out over the empty lake; it's barely been five minutes. The elder twin looked like she was going to say something but then she noticed something leaking down her cheek. Raising her fingers to her cheek, she pulled them back as sharp pain raced through her face; looking at her hand the elder twin saw blood on her fingers. She glared furiously at the younger girl, she didn't appear to even care that she was browsed and beaten, or that a matching scratch was on her face as well. But then something happened, as the twin in blue readied herself to charge forward, her opponent's eyes widened and she spit up blood like she was choking on it.

"Not good," Kiyobi whispered softly, he snatched up both girls and through them to their cousins on the shore of the lake. He noticed that the healers swarmed the twin in blue, but no one dared to check on the girl in red. As he turned away from the family that he'd been protecting for hundreds of years, he saw one old man approach the girl in red. That was enough to satisfy him, Kiyobi quickly returned to the opposite side of the lake were his host laid sleeping in the arms of the twin girl's caretaker.

Kiyobi starred at the little blond haired boy in the red head's arms, he had seen the boy once before, when their life's depended on his chakra to save them. He did not realize then that his host was actually so young, was Naruto not a twelve year old loud mouth?

"His true form, if I had not been placed into him?" Kiyobi asked the old woman who looked like she was two seconds away from cooing and awing the sleeping boy like he was a baby. The old woman and her main servant looked up at him, Marin looked heartbroken at the sight of him, but understanding and acceptance was in her eyes. She stood and readied Naruto before her like she was a mother giving her sleeping child to a stranger she didn't trust but knew that no harm would come to her baby.

"Yes, if not for you, this boy would have stopped growing at this age, true he would continue to grow, but at nearly half the rate of other's his age." Marin whispered to him, her eyes on the boy in her arms.

"You look like her," Kiyobi said calmly, he knew he looked like a twenty year old Naruto with red hair and eyes. When Marin glanced at him, her eyes not reaching his, Kiyobi explained further. "The woman who keeps company with my calmer side, this boy's mother" Kiyobi smiled as the woman blushed, "Kushina Uzumaki, you could be her twin."

"Kitsune-kun," called the old woman, preventing the Kiyobi from touching Naruto, "If you do not mind, which twin is now heir, and what is too happened to the other?" the Kiyobi appeared to deflate, his shoulders slumped and his eyes filled with sadness; he briefly wondered if he should tell them that the elder and young twins switched places long ago?

"The elder girl has been trained since she was young; she knows the dance as well as her own hand." He would not tell them it has been the elder twin living in Konoha, then Kiyobi shook his head, sorrow was etched into his face.

"My word will not change the fate of the younger twin, as she has been made a shadow, she knows nothing of your clan for your clan has already chosen who is to be heir and who is to die; my word will not change that." And then Kiyobi was gone, split into two different forms that swirled around each other almost calmly until they disappeared into the naval of one Naruto Uzumaki. He was no longer the little eight year old boy who was frightened of the eyes of the people around him; he was now the thirteen year old boy who took glares as a challenge.

Marin sighed sadly; she picked up Naruto and walked away from the lake, his team right behind her as the old woman continued to confers with Shikamaru and Neji calmly.

"He'll live, but you need to leave as quickly as possible, he might sleep for a day or more so don't be surprised if he doesn't wake up until a week from now. The clan is heading to a common house in a land that never warms, so I hope you won't fallow us any further then you have already." And with that the two women were gone; Naruto was lying against a tree asleep.

"Great, we need to leave and Naruto might be out for a day or a week!" Shikamaru complained rubbing the back of his head, "This is too troublesome." The team jumped into the trees, Lee and Neji holding Naruto on their shoulders.

"At least we have something better to report to Lady Tsunade!" Kiba said cheerfully, "We're going to the land of snow! The Haruno's strong hold!"

"This isn't going to end well…"

…

Naruto stared at the three people in front of him, he couldn't believe that they would even come to this frozen land; It was so vastly different from their home.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again, he saw the blond girl before him glare sharply and heard an exasperated sigh from one of his team mates behind him.

"For the last damn time, Naruto! We're fine! This is pretty much what Suna feels like at night!" Tamari snapped out, she was wearing knee high boots, thick pants and a cloak that Naruto swear was skinned from a bear. He couldn't see what else she was wearing, but he was happy she at least had a hood, cloves and a scarf slash mask.

"Yeah, just no snow, we don't have that much water in Suna so we don't get snow." Kankoro said, glaring just as sharply at the blond and his group. Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Okay! If you guys say so, I wouldn't know!" any one could tell that his smile and laugh was fake, Sakura meant everything to him; it was imposable to think what he would do if she were to die.

"Naruto," Gaara's voice was soft, but his eyes narrowed at the Naruto's acting.

"Yeah, what is it Gaara?" Naruto asked, curious as to what his friend would want, he starred right back at Gaara unblinkingly.

"We came to help find Sakura," Gaara's voice was soft, but it echoed in the air between them, Tamari starred at her brother and the boy before him. Naruto's eyes widened and after several minutes he nodded his head in understanding, his smile gone and the energy that he was normally bouncing with seemed to disappear with that gentile breeze that ruffled his hair.

"Okay then, you can fallow us. We have a camp a little ways from here." Naruto's voice was empty of almost every emotion he was feeling, everything but the broken heart in his chest and the numbness in his mind. As Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba turned away for their camp; Tamari rested her hand on Gaara's shoulder.

Gaara looked up at his sister, she smiled at him and nodded at him to fallow Naruto; she took a few steps forward and watched as Kankoro fallowed and then Gaara too, more slowly than everyone else. Tamari knew why he didn't like this land of snow; Gaara was out of his element, he was surrounded with wet, frozen water that melted when it touched him. True it was a beautiful sight when they first came here; she just wished it was under better circumstances.

"So when did you guys start after us?" Shikamaru asked as he sat before their fire.

"We were dispatched a day after you guys told Tsunade about Snow, we headed straight for wave country." Tamari replied calmly as she defrosted her fingers before the fire, Kankoro right beside her. "We hoped to stop them at wave, to prevent them from ever getting to sea because then we would just be in hell."

"Yeah, we ran into them Haruno's once and we haven't been able to find them sense!" Kankoro whined pathetically.

"Properly because _someone_ went and killed three of their men without warning." Tamari replied, eyeing her younger brother; Gaara just starred at the fire as if he didn't hear any of their complaining.

"Seriously?" Naruto called almost existed at the news. "We couldn't even land a hit on them! Did you guys get the drop on them or something?"

"Or something is more like it," Tamari answered, "On minute Kankoro and me are playing in the ocean trying to get Gaara in too, and the next he's chasing a group of people to their boat and leaving us behind in his dust."

"I saw Sakura," Gaara replied calmly

"Not at first!" snapped Kankoro, "When you first saw that group you saw that weird house being carried and a huge mass of red heads surrounding it like they were protecting the emperor or something!"

"When we got to where Gaara was, we found Sakura, but couldn't move past the four people they left behind." Whined Tamari unhelpfully, Gaara sighed and closed his eyes; he fell back into his memories of that day nearly two weeks ago…

…

Tamari and Kankoro had never seen the ocean before, and they weren't going to do anything else until they got to play in it first. Tamari and Kankoro tried to drag him into the water, but Gaara raised his sand defenses and they backed off into the water quickly. He looked up at the town behind them when he heard the sounds of a large crowed gathering. There on the street heading to one of the nearby boats was what looked like a parade; a miniature house looking thing was supported by six men and surrounded by what looked a hundred people, some were holding a red flag with a white circle on it. After starring at it for a minute, Gaara immanently dismissed it; until he realized were he'd seen that emblem before.

_She was a standing at the nurses' station, apparently waiting for someone. Abruptly she sighed and left the station, heading down one of the hallways; he couldn't help but to fallow her. Maybe she'd lead him to the person he was searching for, the only person he hadn't been able to kill right away. The girl was strange; he'd never seen anyone with pink hair before, that was a little different, even where he was from. She didn't act or look like a kinochi, she walked around in a red dress with slits up to her waist and a white circle on her back. That was the lamest excuse of a family crest that he'd ever seen; he'd seen some impressive symbols before, but this pink haired girl's was weak and __unrememberable__, like she was. It was just a white circle on a red back ground, what the hell was that supposed to mean?_

As soon as the memory hit him, Gaara launched himself to his feet and ran hell bent for the boat were the tiny looking house was placed. Almost immanently three men charged at him, their weapons drawn and at the ready, everyone scattered on to the boat or back into the city with screams and cries of alarm.

He wasn't willing to play with these three; he moved the sand and immanently buried them. He quickly jumped up onto the boat, only to get back handed off the boat, landing on his feet Gaara glared up at the top of the boat, his sand rose around him as two men tried to cut him in half. He willed the sand to throw them back, he saw Tamari and Kankoro rushing up behind him; he crushed the third and closest guard. Gaara didn't even hear a scream from the man, just a startled shout from someone else as they called out to their friend. Laughter made Gaara and his siblings turn to look up at the boat in almost startled wonderment.

"You know I almost took you for a Haruno," the man chuckled, "That is until I saw you move the sand, that's very unique; would you care to teach that to me?" something about the blue eyed man put Gaara on edge.

"_**This man is trouble.**__"_Shukaku whispered in Gaara's head, Gaara narrowed his eyes at the Haruno man above him. _**"I'm sure we could kill him, of course, but he'd be troublesome like a certain Fox."**_ Shukaku huffed slightly put out at Gaara's not quite formed thought.

"No." Gaara said firmly as he readied the sand around him, "Where is Sakura Haruno?" the man chuckled again.

"No fun," the man's voice shook with his laughter, "Even if you're from sand, you must be Allies with the leaf, that's disappointing. That means I can't kill you."

"_**Did he just challenge us? That's it let me out! I'll kill him! Troublesome or not! He's dead meat!"**_ Shukaku screamed from his cage, Gaara moved the sand around him and quickly trapped the remaining two men who charged him earlier.

"Release Sakura Haruno to me immanently, or you lose two more men." Gaara growled out dangerously, the man smiled down at him.

"I can't just _give_ you my princesses, but I can let you see her." Gaara glared at him and tightened his hold on the two men, he heard them struggle. "Saku- Kura!" Gaara stared at him; that was a weird way to say Sakura's name. "Come here! You have guests!"

"Master!" one of the men trapped by Gaara cried, "I'm sorry!" Gaara glanced at him briefly, what did he have to apologies for? "I'm sorry I couldn't protect Mistress!"

"Can this clan get any weirder or what?" Tamari asked Kankoro under her breath.

"I know, first they mispronounce Sakura's name and then they go an' apologize for getting caught and used as hostages!" Kankoro whispered back, "I think that's a first in shinobi history!"

"Don't be foolish brother!" called out a voice, Gaara, Tamari and Kankoro starred at the girl standing beside the blue eyed man. "You have done me a great honor! I just wish you could have held your son one last time." The girl was in a beautiful, multilayered blue, green and white Kimono, her long pink hair was done up elegantly with blue and green beads.

"Sakura?" Tamari whispered "Sakura! Jump! Gaara will catch you!" the blond girl cried out as she took a few hurried steps forward, her fan ready to knock back anyone who tried to stop her. Sakura stared down at the three sand shinobis for a moment and cocked her head to the side with one elegant figure pursued on her chin as if she was trying to remember something.

"Do I know you?" Sakura called down as she glanced over at the man beside her; he gently shook his head negatively. "I don't know you." Sakura said with a smile on her face as if this was a good thing.

"Sakura it's us! Tamari, Kankoro and Gaara!" Tamari gestured to everyone in turn "I know you haven't forgotten Gaara! You fought with him at the Chunin exams!" Tamari cried out.

"Oh!" Sakura's eyes widened and she bumped her right fist over her left palm as if she'd made a discovery. "You're the ninja searching for Imoto!" the sand Nin stared at her as she turned away from them and disappeared from their sight, calling 'Imoto! Imoto!' like she was five.

"You should have said that you were looking for _that_ princess." The blue eyed man smiled down at them.

"What the hell just happened?" Kankoro asked Tamari "Since when did Sakura have a sister? I thought she was an only child."

"That wasn't Sakura." Gaara replied as he backed away from the ship, his sand billowing up around the three of them as if he was uneasy with something.

"Huh? But that totally _looked_ like Sakura!" Kankoro argued half heartily.

"She doesn't smell like Sakura at all," Gaara said calmly, looking like he was waiting for a surprise attach. "She smells like blood." Tamari and Kankoro starred almost horrified at Gaara and then anxiously at the boat, waiting for the pink haired girl they were supposed to save to appear.

"Found her!" called out an overly cheerful voice, "Imo—to—!" whined the voice "Stop being so slow—! You can walk faster than that!" the Sakura look alike appeared at the edge looking like she was flustered child. "Ikisu-cha—n Imoto is being unresponsive again!"

"Hey, don't look at me," the blue eyed man said calmly "She's your twin, you make her do something."

"But she only walks and eats when I tell her too, she won't do anything else!" the girl whined. "At least you can make her stand and sit!"

"That's because I force her to, you're too gentle to do that to your sister." Ikisu smiled at the girl. "Ah Saku, Kura, it's about time you showed up. Your friends have been waiting patiently for you." It was then that a second person slowly appeared at the edge of the boat, Tamari and Kankoro's breathe caught in their throats while Gaara growled furiously at the man beside the Sakura look a-like.

"What did you do?" Tamari snapped out, her grip on her fan turning her knuckles white. The new person looked exactly like the Sakura they had seen last, her pink hair brushed gently at her shoulders, she wear the same Kimono as her twin beside her, but her kimono was in red and pink, she even had the same crown but hers was all in red; making her head look as if it had a crown of blood on it.

This second girl was unmistakable as Sakura Haruno, the girl who stood up to Gaara during the Chunin exams a little more than half a year ago; Tamari had spent a little time watching her in the village before it was attached, she was thoroughly convinced that it was unnatural how dead Sakura's eyes were and how blank her face was.

Whereas the girl in teal was expressive and whinny, this Sakura in red was everything she wasn't.

"What did you do to Sakura?!" Tamari cried out, she nearly charged the ship, but stopped herself from doing so; if she wasn't careful she could hurt Sakura.

"We didn't do anything to Imoto, she did it to herself." The girl in teal explained with a smile as she leaned against the edge of the boat. "She thought that if she could seal away everything that made up her heart then she could die in peace!"

"Sakura won't die!" cried Tamari as she finally flung her fan at the ship. "She's too stubborn for that crap!" Gaara forced the sand under the ship to keep from going out to sea too quickly; he watched as the blue eyed man jumped down and charged at him. Gaara smiled to himself; so long as he kept this man busy then they had a chance.

"How many times are you going to throw those waves of sand at me? It's clearly not working!" Ikisu called as he brought his sword down on Gaara's head, only to find a sand clone instead; Gaara reappeared a few feet away, his sand surrounding him like a shield.

"Clearly I wasn't aiming for you." Gaara replied pointing to the ship. Ikisu turned in time to see Tamari give a furious swing of her giant fan, forcing the ship into movement, and forcing Kankoro over the side with something small and red in his arms.

"What?! No!" Ikisu went to stop Kankoro and Tamari but found a spear of sand through his chest. "Huh?" Ikisu stared dumbly at the spear like sand protruding from his chest.

"IKISU—!" cried out the girl in teal as she clung desperately to the edge of the ship as it sailed quickly out to sea. Gaara walked pasted the blue eyed man calmly.

"While you were distracted with me, I pushed Kankoro and Tamari to the ship." Gaara said as he released the two men he had captured earlier, "thank you for your corporation, I hope you've learned your lesson and don't taunt Jinchuuriki again, we have a foal temper." Gaara's smiled was a little bit smug as he turned away from the man and approached Kankoro. "How is she?"

"I think she'll be okay," Kankoro answered as he carried Sakura bridal-style to the beach, which looked hilarious with Kankoro dressed up in his cat suit and his wet make up that now ran down his face.

"She'd better be or hell is going to rain on someone." Snapped Tamari as Kankoro set Sakura on the sand. Quickly Tamari checked Sakura's vitals as her brother's watched, after a few minutes Tamari nodded her head. "I may not know much about being a medic but I know the basics, she appears fine, the only damage I can see is what that other girl said. About sealing everything in her heart…"

"You serious Tamari? I know Sakura's a chakra generous and everything like her Hokage is, but that sounds a little much." Kankoro replied "How can you lock your emotions away?"

"It's easy if you know the functions of the brain." Sakura spoke softly.

"Ah! You're alright!" Tamari clapped her hands, Kankoro made a disbelieving sound "For a second there I thought you'd faint on us!"

"All you have to do is shut down one of the functions in the brain and anyone can become a doll." Sakura answered slowly and blinked just as slowly.

"Sakura, why would you want to be a doll?" Gaara asked softly, Sakura didn't even look at him as she answered.

"To make my death easier." Gaara narrowed his eyes at Sakura, something wasn't right. She didn't quite smell like the Sakura he met last time, she smell like water and perfume. Tamari completely snapped, her hand slapped across Sakura's face so fast it shocked even Gaara.

"That's a load of crap!" tears threatened Tamari's eyes; Sakura looked up at her in startled wonderment. "The Sakura I know wouldn't think of dyeing so easily! She'd fight like hell and kick everyone's ass while she's at it!" Tamari did have a point, Kankoro thought, Sakura wasn't strong like Tamari said she was, but Sakura was a mother hen. She might not have fought like Tamari or Gaara might have, but she wouldn't have given up so easily. Slowly Kankoro brought his figure to Sakura's forehead.

"Kai!" he called, _please let her be under some kind of Genjutsu_, Sakura looked at him blankly; no luck. Kankoro sighed and dropped his hand. "Well it was worth a shot."

Gaara nodded his head in understanding, and immanently moved his sand up around Sakura protectively. The two men who'd he captured before had tried to lop off Sakura's head, even as tears threatened their eyes and they knew they couldn't land a hit; the two men at least tried.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Tamari barked out as Gaara surrounded the men once more in sand.

"Master left us behind!" snapped out one of the men as he struggled against the sand, Sakura didn't even turn around.

"So? That doesn't give you the right to try and kill Sakura; all you have to do is charter another boat." Kankoro reasoned, holding his hand out in front of Tamari; she so very much wanted to bash their heads in.

"You don't understand," whispered the other man, "Master left us behind to kill Kura-sama."

"Huh?" Tamari and Kanko stared at the man as tears poured from his eyes.

"Each twin is given one name, that name is split between the two twins, take the name Shikisu for example." The other man spoke up calmly, his eyes filled with sadness and pain. "The name can be split into 'Shiki' and 'Ikisu'; this way when you combine them you get 'Shikisu'."

"We just got Kura-sama back and now we were sentenced to kill her!" sobbed the previous man. "If we are abandoned then we must kill our self's, if we are banished then we kill ourselves."

"If we are left behind and our heir is taken away from us, then it befalls onto us to save her." The second man said calmly.

"Okay, I understand the saving part, but why'd you try to kill her?" Kankoro asked.

"Because we save our heir…" The calmer man said softly "by killing her." Tamari gasped and Kankoro gaped at the man, unable to say anything. "And then we kill ourselves because now there is no way for us to return to our clan."

Sakura didn't look at the two men, she didn't even flinch to show any life at all; it was like she was just an empty shell. Gaara raised the two men above Sakura so that their shadow's blocked out her sun light and knocked them out, once he was sure they were out Gaara crushed their leg's; making sure their blood would hit Sakura.

Tamari and Kankoro gasped and snapped at Gaara, while Tamari was busy yelling at Gaara, the younger boy was watching Sakura for a reaction. The Sakura he knew was more like a civilian at heart, watching people get killed right before her scared the living crap out of her. But the Sakura before him didn't even blink, she didn't flinch when the blood hit her, she didn't react at all; that was how he knew she wasn't Sakura Haruno.

"You wanted to die right?" Gaara asked, Sakura nodded her head, "Then die." Gaara leaned back from Sakura and forced Sand through Sakura's chest.

"Gaara!" Tamari cried

"We were supposed to save her!" snapped Kankoro, and then Sakura turned into a puddle of water. "What the…"

"Water substitution Jutsu," Tamari whispered slightly amazed, before she started kicking herself. She had just helped the enemy to sea with the person she was supposed to take back!

"I knew there was something wrong with her." Gaara whispered, "Sakura doesn't wear perfume…"

"How the hell would you know that?" Kankoro asked, Tamari turned and starred at her brothers, Gaara promptly ignored both of his siblings. Gaara walked over to the blue eyed man's body, only to see that it wasn't the same man he had briefly fought with. This man had copper orange hair and amber brown eyes; the man he had fought against had used a replacement jutsu on him, he used one of his own family members as a replacement.

Gaara sighed and crouched next to the dead man, that wasn't right even too Shukaku. Then again, Shukaku hated it when his enemy ran away instead of fighting; he really was looking forward to killing that blue eyed man. That evening they made sure to arrange transportation for the two surviving men and the four dead ones to go to Konoha, Tamari made sure they stayed a sleep the entire way…


	3. Chapter 3: Haruno Twins

Kura Haruno

…

…

"So that's how it is…" Shikamaru's soft voice woke Gaara from his musings, "So Sakura has an older twin, that's interesting."

"How is that interesting?" Kiba asked as he dropped more fire wood into the fire, "Does it matter that she has an older sister?"

"She's not just an older sister," Shino said calmly.

"So what if their twins; does that have a special meaning to you?" Kiba asked

"That other girl is the _older_ twin," Neji answered, his pale eyes locked onto the fire. "In my clan it doesn't matter if twins are born into the branch family, but if their bourn into the main house?" Neji shook his head, "Then the youngest twin would be forced into the branch family, like what they did with my father and uncle."

"Oh,"

"It's not just that," Shikamaru continued, "Even when they were in Konoha and again with Gaara's team, they kept mentioning Sakura dyeing."

"Wait a second," Naruto spook up, slowly he turned to Tamari and Kankoro. "You guys said that one of the men that Gaara didn't kill said that twins are given one name that is split into two, right?"

"Yeah, he gave us a weird name, but he basically said names like Sakura's would be split so that the older twin would be named 'Saku' and the younger would be named 'Kura'" Tamari answered "What does that have anything to do with them being twins?"

"It has everything to do with it." Shikamaru answered; looking towards the sky as if he wanted to do nothing more than run way from this whole problem. "Back in Konoha, one of the women we captured, she was teasing Ino when she called to Sakura. She said," Shikamaru paused briefly, trying to remember that strange woman's exact words. "She said that we didn't even know anything about Sakura."

Shino nodded his head, he recalled what that woman had said; he also remembered that woman killing Ino. It took Kiba and him everything they had to keep Hinata from freaking out and doing something that she'd regret.

"Yeah you're right," Kiba agreed "What the hell was that woman's problem anyway?"

"She was pissed that Ino worked with a downed Anbu and that she had managed to get cut by a Genin's trick." Shikamaru answered "I'm just glad Ino didn't die…" Shikamaru whispered to himself. It was a silent understanding that Sakura and Ino were close, even when they were fighting; it was just that neither one of them wanted to admit _how_ close they were. Suddenly Shikamaru sighed as the thought hit him, of course that woman would tease Ino about calling out to Sakura; Ino had called to her pink haired friend by the wrong name.

"Damn," sighed Shikamaru, "I'm really starting to hate this clan."

"Hmm," Neji agreed, "I just thought about it."

"Huh? What is it?" Kiba asked, why should he think when he had two geniuses next to him?

"The Sakura we know isn't actually named Sakura Haruno, her name is Kura Haruno." Tamari answered with a sigh.

"Why didn't I think about it before? She never responded well to 'Saku-chan'" Naruto hid his face in his knees, berating himself for not noticing before. "She always just walked faster and completely ignored us!"

"How the hell were we supposed to know?" Kiba snapped "It's not like any of us actually knew anything about Sakura!"

"We don't even know where she lives…" Shikamaru answered, he eyed Naruto but the blond boy just gowned and shook his head.

"I only know where her parent's work! I've never been to her house…" Naruto whispered, "I've never even _seen_ her parents before."

"How is she your guys' friend if you guys _still_ don't know anything about her?" Tamari asked eyeing the boys in front of her, she wasn't even a part of Konoha and she at least knew where Sakura lived! At least she hoped that's where the pinket lived; she wasn't so sure anymore. "I mean, Naruto you're her teammate, how come you've never been to her house?"

"Because it never occurred to him," Shikamaru answered eyeing the moping blond.

"Not true!" Naruto snapped back "I know were Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke live! Sakura just didn't say anything." Naruto answered more calmly "She was always on time, so there was no reason to go look for her at her house, sometimes she even showed up insanely early."

"Hell even I know were Shino and Hinata live!" Kiba nearly snapped at Naruto.

"Of course you know where Hinata lives," Answered Neji, "You had to pick her up enough times, I'm sure you picked up its location eventually." Kiba glared at Neji. "And you've properly had to run to Shino for help in getting rid of flees more than once…" now Shino glared at him. Tamari chuckled at them, clearly they miss their girls.

"So how long have you boys been without your girls?" Tamari asked eyeing them with a sly smile on her face.

"Nearly a month," Kiba answered "I'm even starting to miss Ino a little bit."

"Dude that's sad" Naruto said calmly.

"Hay! Ino's mine to worry about." Shikamaru snapped out, a smile splitting across his face. "You should be missing Hinata." Kiba paled and pointed at Neji franticly. "What? You didn't want him to know that you've got a slight crush on Hinata?" Shikamaru snickered, Kiba immanently scrambled away from Neji to hide behind Shino.

"Your evil." Kiba barked back, Neji smiled at the fire; oh the things he could do to Kiba without even needing to try. "See! Look at what you did!" Kiba waved a terrified finger at Neji "I'm too young to die!"

"That's only concerning if your good looking." A voice called back, the entire team immanently went into defensive position; everyone but Tamari, Kankoro and Gaara, who all stayed perfectly calm close to the fire.

"We've left you guys alone for way to long." Said another voice as a figure stepped into the light. "Did you have any idea how hard it was for us to find you guys?" Tenten asked lightly, the boys visibly relaxed.

"How long have you been tracking us?" Neji asked as he scooted over for Tenten, the brunet gratefully took the offered seat.

"About a week ago," Tenten answered calmly, she eyed Shikamaru as she gestured to someone in the darkness to come closer.

"A week after you guys left Ino woke up." Everyone turned to see Hinata approaching, her arms full of small twigs and sticks. "And it took her another week to walk strait again." Neji nodded as Shikamaru all but collapsed in his seat, he would never tell how worried he truly was about Ino.

"If you guys don't mind, we have a shelter over there." Tenten answered pointing in the direction they had just come from.

"Sensei found the cave easily enough." Hinata agreed calmly.

"How far away is the cave?" Shikamaru asked. "Who's all there?"

"Not far and the rest of our teams." Tenten said as she stood. "Oh! It's a pleasure to finely meet you guys; you must be the sand shinobi we were told about." Tamari nodded her head; she recalled the mention of another team coming with them when they left for wave, she just hadn't known what to expect.

"Alright!" Kiba called out one of his arms wrapped around Hinata with Shino on her other side. "Time for a reunion!" and off like a rocket Kiba, Shino and Hinata were off for the cave; Hinata leading the way. Tenten giggled and fallowed suit, Neji hot on her heals.

"Ah geez Kiba, why don't you shut up?" Shikamaru groaned, before he fallowed after them, Tamari and Kankoro chuckling after them. Naruto stood starring at the fire; Gaara was leaning against a tree not too far away.

"Aren't you going to fallow them?" Naruto asked, not bothering to look up at Gaara.

"I'll fallow you," Gaara replied calmly.

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend." Naruto glanced at him then, his eyes were full of pain.

"I know that," Naruto whispered "I meant, why are you helping to find Sakura? I don't believe that you came just because she's my teammate or that Tsunade asked for help from your village because you have dozens of teams that could have been sent." Naruto starred at Gaara.

"The last time I checked, you haven't seen her since the Chunin exams, when you knocked her out for standing between you and Sasuke. Don't use me as an excuse to come, why did you rush here to help us, when you don't know a lot about Sakura?" Gaara didn't have an answer, it didn't take Naruto long to realize that even Gaara didn't understand why he came running to help.

"Come on, the others are waiting." Naruto sighed and kicked some snow over the fire until even the sticks were buried, Gaara nodded his head and quickly fallowed after Naruto into the trees. It didn't take them long to find the others, Shikamaru looked like he was ready to die.

"I thought you said it wasn't fare?" Shikamaru snapped out as he kicked off another branch.

"If you guys were faster we'd be there by now!" snapped Tenten, Naruto glanced at his teammates, the only ones who appeared to still be full of energy were Gaara's team, Neji, Hinata and Tenten. "One would think that you'd be faster by now!"

"We are faster!" Kiba snapped back. "You try stopping Naruto when the Kiyobi is leaking out!" Tenten and Hinata shared a look, a look Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to know the translation of.

"Hey Naruto!" Tenten cried as she turned in mid leap, with a wink and a blown kiss Tenten held Naruto's eyes; until she saw Neji nearly face plant a nearby tree. She couldn't help but laugh, her trick didn't work on her intended target but it still worked!

"Tenten!" Neji began to scold when he landed next to her on the ground "Since when did you flirt?"

"Since I learned how to." Tenten replied as she pointed in front of her, turning Neji saw a large Cave entrance. A black and white cloth was pulled aside by Hinata, revealing a warm firry glow from inside. "Lee's been giving me all kinds of trouble; go in first so he doesn't see me please."

Upon entering the cave, Hinata dropped the curtain back over the entrance and was pleased to see that no one from outside the cave would have even known about it being there at all.

When Neji ducked inside he saw that Tenten wasn't kidding when she said that the rest of their teams were here. There was Kuranai, Anko, Shizune, Jiraya, Lee and Choji and off in the corner of the cave Neji could see Ino asleep and curled up into several thick blankets; laying beside her was a knocked out Shikamaru.

"So what do we do now?" Choji asked as he stuffed his face with some meat "Shikamaru just came in and collapsed, he didn't even say hi."

"We'll talk in the morning Choji, for now everyone go to sleep!" Kuranai smiled as she headed to her bed. "Jiraya," Kuranai spoke up, eyeing the older man. Jiraya twitched and immanently rushed to his place at the entrance of the cave, Naruto watched him with wide eyes. From Jiraya there was Anko and then Kuranai; from there the teams all fell into place together, Ino was surrounded by Choji and Shikamaru, Team Eight slept close together next to Kuranai, Tamari and Kankoro didn't stray too far from the fire and Gaara was leaning against the cave wall opposite to Naruto's seat closest to the fire in the center of the cave.

"Naruto," Jiraya whispered softly, the blond boy looked up at his teacher and tilted his head slightly at him. "Get some sleep, me and Gaara got this." Jiraya said calmly. Naruto nodded his head and closed his eyes, it's not like he'd ever get any sleep anyways; he was too worried about Sakura to do anything else. But then again her name wasn't Sakura was it?

_Why couldn't he see anything? It was so dark in this strange wide open room, so dark he didn't know right from left or up from down, why was he here in this dark place were no light shined? Off in the distance, like a faded memory trying to surface, he could hear the sounds of laughter; the sound tightened his chest and stung his eyes. He'd heard that sound before, it was a happy sound, a good sound, yet he felt as if he could die, why?_

"—_to," Giggled a voice, still so far away. _

"—_to, what are you doing?" it was closer and he knew that voice! It was his child hood crushes' voice; it was Sakura's voice… _

"—_to," her voice whispered again, so gentile it broke his heart._

"—_to?" her voice called, curious how he didn't respond._

"—_to?" she wasn't happy anymore, she was becoming scared "—to!" _

"_I'm here!" Naruto called, "I'm right here! Fallow my voice!" he prayed that it was his name Sakura was calling for._

"—_to!" it was breaking his heart to hear that fear in her voice, he could almost see her face in his mind's eye; wait, he could see her face._

"—_to!" she called out again, Naruto could see Sakura, but she was so far away, he could barely make out that pink hair of hers, but it was like he was being drawn to her. _

"—_to!" she was becoming desperate and it broke his heart, little by little he was getting closer to her, Sakura's image becoming clearer and clearer with each second; and then he saw her image turn into a scene._

"_Sakura!" Naruto called out, Sakura was walking away from him, as if she hadn't heard him, he wanted to see her smiling face one more time; what he wouldn't do to see her smile. Sakura was walking amongst the cheery blossom trees, it was a whole grove of cheery trees; the wind gently brushed by her, making her hair swirl around her head and move to show her back. That blood colored dress of hers was never more beautiful then now, and Naruto never knew how much he loved that pale snow white circle on her back._

"_Where are you?" Sakura called out, her hand rested on a nearby cheery blossom. "—to?" Sakura called out, her crimson dress dragged on the petal covered ground, creating a never ending swirl of Cheery blossoms at her feet. Suddenly a fox appeared at Sakura's feet, it was such a strange looking fox; Naruto never knew that foxes could have been so big, or that they could have such a human look to them._

"_Narune!" Sakura called, her voice filled with joy, "Narune have you seen —to?" Sakura crouched before the fox, her hand out stretched and petting the creature who was starring strait into her eyes._

"—_to is your elder brother is he not?" the fox asked as he leaned his head into Sakura's hand. That was when Naruto realized that something was greatly wrong, Sakura didn't have a brother and foxes didn't talk!_

"_Yes –to is my brother." Sakura conformed, "Have you seen him?" the fox sighed and stood from his place at her feet, Sakura watched as the fox turned and walked away; Naruto stared too, that fox was big enough to kill a man!_

"_Narune," Sakura called softly as she stood, her long hair swaying with her movements as she gently and silently fallowed after the crimson orange fox. "Narune where are you taking me?" Sakura asked calmly as she gently fallowed, Naruto didn't know what to think; it was strange to see Sakura walk calmly with a fox that reached up to her waist easily._

"_There is something you must see," the fox whispered gently, so softly that Naruto almost didn't hear him._

"_I'm sorry?" Sakura asked, "What was that? I didn't hear you Narune, could you repeat that?" Sakura tilted her head to the side, trying to see the fox's eyes._

"_I said I'm taking you to your brother." Narune quickly covered his blunder, "I'm taking you to the edge of the forest." Sakura stopped then, Naruto watched as Narune the fox turned slightly towards her. "Haru-san come, we have to hurry if you wish to see your brother again." Naruto watched Sakura as she watched the fox continued forward, a thousand questions swarmed Naruto's mind, why did she pause? Why did the fox call Sakura, Haru-san? Who was that person Sakura was calling for? Why couldn't he here the name she called?_

"_To the edge of the forest then, my friend." Sakura whispered gently. Why the hell could he only see her back? He wanted to see her face! He wanted to see her eyes! Why couldn't he move? Why was just the sight of Sakura enough to freeze him? He should be running into her arms laughing and smiling as they lost balance and fell to the ground as he smothered her in his arms. Naruto fallowed Sakura as she fallowed the fox to the edge of her land, she starred out over the rolling hills; there was a lake at the bottom of the hill nearby and a large house not far from it._

"_I don't see Nii-chan." Sakura whispered, with a calm glance down at the fox who sat at her feet._

"_I know, he'll get here soon." Narune whispered, Sakura looked down at the fox, her green eyes wide._

"_So it's time," Sakura whispered, her soft voice carried on the wind, "It's finally time to die." It almost sounded as if she were happy; Naruto didn't want to believe that Sakura was actually happy to die. She had a dream; she wanted to marry, she wanted to have kids, she wanted to protect her home and die trying to do so. Sakura had her whole life planned out right down to her last breath, so why was she happy to hear that she was going to die? She was only thirteen! She wasn't even dating yet; her dreams haven't even taken any form from beyond her imagination._

_Off in the distance Naruto could hear the sounds of a funeral parade and as the sounds got louder and louder he saw the many people marching up the road to the Cheery Blossom forest. Soon Naruto saw a woman holding a picture of a man, two men fallowed close behind her; it looked as if a whole Village was walking behind them calmly and slowly. Naruto spotted six men caring a large bed with a roof over it and through the clear white cloth surrounding it's sides, Naruto saw the body of a middle aged man inside._

"_Hello Eiko-chan," Sakura calmly spook, she bowed deeply and waved a hand to inside the pink forest. "Please join me in my home."_

"_It is a pleaser to see you again Imoto," Eiko bowed, her hands still grasping her husband's picture almost tightly. "Can my sons join me within your home?"_

"_I'm afraid not Eiko-chan," Sakura eyed the older woman for a moment "Only you and my brother may enter." The two men behind Eiko stiffened._

"_Chi-chi-san is dead." Snapped the younger man, his midnight blue eyes cold and distant, "How can he go anywhere with you?" Suddenly there was growl and before either man could react, the fox by Sakura's feet lunged forward and hid himself underneath Sakura's brother's burial bed. In seconds that bed was lifted into the air and the man's body and the fox were behind Sakura in the blink of an eye. Both men stuttered and gasped, trying to understand how something could move so fast, as they looked between their pink haired aunt and their mother, the men saw the rest of their party scatter down the hill once more; they wanted nothing to do with the pink haired demon._

"_My sons," Eiko said softly, "Please return to our home and __be safe__." Eiko straitened and offered Sakura her hand. "Tell the other's that I will not be returning."_

"_What?" One of the men snapped out; Sakura hesitated in grabbing Eiko's hand, she didn't want to rush into anything that might make the older woman hesitate._

"_But Kaa-san!"_

"_But nothing," Snapped Eiko, even Sakura raised an eyebrow at the older woman's response. "I go to be with my husband now." She didn't even glance back at her sons; Sakura locked eyes with Eiko, nodded her head once and grasped the older woman's hand gently. That was when everything changed, a gust blew around the two women and when it settled, the boys didn't know if they should charge at Sakura or not. Eiko was not hunched over in pain and she didn't have white streaks in her graying hair, no, Eiko stood tall and her hair was as dark as midnight._

"_Come home, my sister." Sakura whispered gently, she stepped back and revealed her brother's open casket. Eiko and her son's gasped in surprise; there sitting in the burial bed sat the man that had died only days before, Eiko's husband and Sakura's brother. "It's time for us to go home." Sakura whispered gently, she gently pulled at Eiko's hand and just as gently, Sakura guided Eiko to her husband; the older woman sputtering and teary eyed all the way, yet she didn't stop crying in joy at the sight._

"_Kaa-san," whispered one of the sons, "what's happened to you?" slowly, painfully slowly it seemed to the young men; Eiko turned towards her sons. Her hand tightly held by Sakura, Eiko smiled brilliantly at her boys as tears fell from her eyes._

"_Your father has come to take me home." Eiko said, her son's couldn't believe the woman before them. She wasn't middle aged with old wiry eyes, no, she was at least 16 years old; as old as she was when she got married to their father._

"_Kaa-san," whispered the older man, Eiko smiled and waved good bye to her sons. She gently climbed into her husband's burial bed, kissed him and laid down next to him, Sakura smiled gently at the two of them. How could she not? She had spent almost her whole life standing beside them, thick and thin she stood by them. _

"_You can leave now boys, I have it under control." Sakura whispered gently to the two men at the entrance of her forest. She turned away from them then and wasn't surprised when one tried to charge into the forest. She heard the growl and the startled yelp of the man as he jumped back away from the entrance, slowly Sakura turned back to the two men; a smile playing on her lips. "This is the land of the dead. You, the living, are not permitted within these pink boundaries." _

"_You owe me big time." Narune whispered to Sakura as they gently walked away from the entrance, Sakura eyed her summoned fox. He grew large enough to carry the funeral bed; she knew he wasn't having any trouble caring the weight on his back._

"_When will you collect?" Sakura asked gently, she was curious as to what he would demand this time._

"_Soon," was all the fox said, Sakura tilted her head at the animal beside her, she was curious as to what he'd demand from her. But he didn't even hint at what he wanted. Sakura shrugged and continued forward, she didn't pause when several animals fell into step beside her and Narune, she didn't twitch when the old bird Tonka squawked rudely at her._

"_Stupid bird," Narune snarled at the blue bird of Sakura's brother's summoning. "Why aren't you even nice to Haru-san? She's your master now."_

"_The hell she is, I just want to go home to my own nest." Tonka snapped out, he continued to mumble to himself, and for once Narune was glad he didn't hear just what the crazy bird had said._

"_Honorable friend of –to Onsanran," Sakura said as she bowed to the bird, Tonka looked down at Sakura from his great perch upon a door that lead to a wide flat stone as big as a house. "I ask for your assistance with my brother's body and that of his bride." Tonka eyed the burial bed on Narune's back and promptly turned his head away to lay inside his wing furthest from the path were the pink haired woman and her animal friends stood. _

_Narune scoffed at the Tonka's attempt to ignore them, the fox simply jumped to the other side of the door where Tonka's nest sat and gently placed the burial bed on the smooth flat rock. Tonka opened his eye and saw his master's body be placed in the middle of the circler stone that had many rings carved upon it; he also watched as the fox jumped up onto his pedestal that looked like a door. Tonka lifted his head as he saw two other animals jump up onto their placements, the other three animals were staring at him as if they were waiting for him to do something. _

"_Tonka," It wasn't until around sunset that Tonka heard the whispered voice of the woman he only slightly hated._

"_Tonka," whispered the soft voice again, he really hated that woman sometimes. Tonka looked down at the woman standing before his door, he really didn't want to be there, but he was too old to simply fly back home now. Now he had to wait for his master's body to completely disappear with all traces of his chakra in order to disappear back home. He heaved a heavy sigh and flapped his wings in annoyance._

"_One of these days girl, you are going to pay with your life." Tonka said as he lifted into the air and circled his master's body on the stone pad, briefly Tonka noticed how the rings in the stone looked like his master's eyes. He landed atop the burial bed and set it a flame, for a moment he didn't feel like leaving the burial bed; he just wanted to rest beside his master like his wife had. But at the same time Tonka really didn't look forward to dyeing, he had a wife to get back to; he wondered if his matte's eggs had hatched yet…_

_Lazily Tonka lifted himself back to his little nest, and ignored the relived sigh from the woman below him._

"_Thank you Tonka, I owe you my life." And the woman bowed lowly to him, Tonka debated whether or not to roast her alive. He knew the fox liked his master a little too much, but Tonka also knew that the fox wouldn't let anyone kill the woman despite the fact that her reason for living was just destroyed before her._

"_Go away," Tonka snapped "You're giving me a headache."_

"_My life is yours, master Tonka." The woman said with a smile at the flaming blue bird, Tonka returned his cold gaze back to the pink haired girl. She hadn't aged a single day since she summoned the tamales fox, none of her summonings, or demons that came by for the hell of it, would ever think about killing her. He was her only chance at death, and Tonka wasn't all that sure he was ready to kill the annoying girl that he had gotten so used to over the years._

"_Be careful of what you say to a demon girl," Tonka said steadily, "You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep." Sakura looked startled at the blue bird before her, did he not believe her? She was sure that Tonka would kill her, he'd been threatening to do so for years now, would he not go through with it?_

_The fire of her brother's burial didn't stop burning until an hour before sunrise, it was then that Narune jumped down from his perch and gently pushed Sakura back to the edge of the cheery tree forest, where they had first meet with Eiko and her children._

"_What is it Narune?" Sakura whispered, it was then that she saw eight small children, all sitting in a semicircle; four sitting on the outside of the forest, four sitting on the inside. Narune gently pushed Sakura into the center of the circle, none of the children looked at her and Narune refused to speak to her. "Narune," Sakura whispered, confusion etched on to her face, Narune sat down on the outside of the circle._

"_Haru Onsanran," Narune spook up, "you have been found to be the keeper of history; you will stop aging now and never again be killed." Sakura paled and starred almost horrified at the fox. "You will travel from place to place by the season of spring, were the first cherry blossom bloom in spring, you shall appear. You will leave again once spring ends or if you take a great responsibility onto yourself, then you shall return here once more."_

"_W-w-what?" Sakura whispered, suddenly the children did some hand signs and in seconds there was chakra completely surrounding her, each child a different color of Chakra emitted from them. "What's going on? I don't understand!"_

"_Haru Onsanran," Narune said calmly, "You have been chosen to be the keeper of history;" Sakura stared at the fox, fearing that the picture in her mind just might be real "You will be…immortal." That she understood, Narune was telling her that she would never see her brother in the next life; did Narune not understand the pain in her heart?_

"_No!" Sakura cried, Naruto starred at her, "NO!" she cried out again, she was frantic and desperate; she didn't want to be immortal. "You can't do this! Narune—!"_

_Naruto watched horrified as the children's chakra surged and surrounded Sakura, her screams echoed off the hills. It wasn't long before Naruto had covered his ears for fear that her screams would never leave his head, but he could still hear her._

"_Forgive me," whispered a soft voice, for a moment Naruto thought he had imagined it. "Forgive me," it whispered again, Naruto looked back up and saw that it wasn't his imagination. Naruto eyed the fox Narune, and watched as tears gathered in his eyes, the whispered apologies were the fox's thoughts. "Forgive me…my love…" Naruto starred wide eyed at the fox, the fox was in love with a human? Could that even happen?_

"_Narune-sama!" cried one of the children, "We can't hold this for much longer!" Narune snapped his attention to the child, how could they not have enough chakra for this? He was sure that these eight were the strongest children of Haru and her brother's line. If he didn't do something soon, then Haru and the children were going to die!_

"_If we don't do something then the processes will fail!" cried out a red haired boy, Naruto swore he'd seen that boy before. "Haru-sama will die if we don't do something!" with a roar of thunder there was a storm of animals surrounding the children, Naruto watched as thunderous voices roared out at Narune, furious at the fox for his actions._

"_SILENCE!" roared a voice angrily, the silence was deafening as everyone turned to one angry flaming blue bird. "What you done now, you damn fox?"_

"_I was hoping to make her the keeper of history…" the Fox replied calmly as he stood slowly from his place just outside the rang of the pink forest. The resounding gasps of the different animals was almost unheard by the sudden scream of one of the children. There was no way that she could stand this sealing for much longer, "I do not wish to lose her…" with that whisper, Narune joined the children in the circle. Naruto watched as the fox's crimson colored chakra flared and stabilized the other children, even Sakura seemed to stabilize; her screams stilled and she seemed to float in the air as the Chakra rolled around her._

"_Stupid fox," Whispered Tonka, "You love her so much that you would make her an immortal… at the price of you and these children," Tonka sighed and watched as Narune refused to answer him, Tonka studied the other children and then moved his eyes to the floating girl in the wild chakra. It didn't take him long to see the tears that were braced against the girl's closed eyes, as if she was asleep and didn't know she was crying._

"_You will not be able to stabilize her for much longer," Tonka sighed as he flapped his wings, "I will give you aid, just this once." Tonka picked out the child that was bound to die first and quickly landed on her shoulder's and felt his chakra immanently get absorbed by the curse that was left to make Haru immortal._

"_I'm doing this because I love her," Narune said, gritting his teeth, "Why are you?"_

"_Because she is my hatchling…" Tonka whispered calmly._

_Naruto watched as slowly, one by one, a few of the animals stepped forward and placed their head against the back of one of the children. Naruto watched as one child, to Narune's left, received a bull who later had a demon octopus attach to his side to keep him from falling over, only to get attached to the processes and unable to let go._

_Little by little, the scene before Naruto slowly faded away; as if something was dragging Naruto away from the memory and it didn't take him long to find himself before the cage of the great Kiyobi demon._

"_Do you understand now, boy?" Kiyobi asked, a strange blue glow to his eyes, "Do you understand how I came to be?" Naruto thought about what he had seen, it didn't take him long to figure out that the Sakura he had dreamed of wasn't actually Sakura, but he didn't know anyone by the name of Haru. He didn't even know what an Onsanran was, he'd never heard of the name before; he didn't even understand how the Kiyobi was related to his strange dream, but then again…_

"_Is your name Narune?" Naruto whispered to the fox caged before him, "Are you that fox who turned that woman into an immortal?" the fox heaved a heavy sigh._

"_Yes," If not for all the stories that he had heard about the wild demon fox, Naruto would have thought that, that sigh sounded sad._

"_Did she really turn into an immortal? And what happened to those children? Did they die? What about the animals that helped them? Did they die too?" Naruto asked he had a deep sinking feeling in his chest; he felt as if he just lost something important, he almost felt like the night he found out that the fox was sealed inside of him._

"_Yes," Kiyobi said calmly, "Haru-san was turned into an immortal, the children died and the animals that sustained them until the process was finished were turned into demons; like myself."_

"_Do you regret it?" Naruto asked after a moment, "Do you regret turning that woman into an immortal? Even though you'll never get to stand beside her again?" the fox seemed to think for a moment._

"_Sometimes I regret not being able to stand beside her," Kiyobi answered slowly, "Over all though?" Kiyobi hesitated for a moment "No." he finally answered, "I don't think I ever regretted turning her into an immortal." Naruto studied the huge caged fox, he almost felt sorry for the Kiyobi._

"_Hey, wait a moment!" Naruto shouted as a thought occurred to him, "Does that mean that your name isn't Kiyobi but Narune?"_

"_Yes," the fox said calmly, his blue eyes blinking slowly at the small blond before him "although I am not used to hearing that name without the hatred attached to it and someone trying to kill me on sight."_

"_So the other's pretty much hate you, huh?" Naruto gave the demon fox a shy smile, he could understand wanting to keep his precious people safe at whatever coast, although he didn't quite know if he'd ever let other's die for protecting those he loved. _

"_So…" Naruto immanently forgot what he was going to ask because suddenly the fox howled out in pain and with a flash the Kiyobi before him was back to his original self, red eyes and all. There was a flash and suddenly something flew out of the cage of the demon and surrounds the outer chamber on the other side of the room. When Naruto opened his eyes again he was at the entrance to the room that held the blood red Kiyobi, and blocking his entrance was a glowing white form, snarling and barking the two huge forms of foxes seemed to fight one another; even as the huge gate prevented either one from landing any hits on the other._

"_What just happened?" Naruto asked, the white fox paused and backed away from the gate._

"_We separated," snapped out the red eyed demon Kiyobi. "Don't ever do that again!"_

"_Oh shut up you sore loser," snapped back the white fox as he shrank himself so that Naruto could enter the room again. "I think you've seen enough, little kit." The fox seemed to smile down at Naruto, "it's about time for you to wake up, its morning after all."_

"_Huh?" and then Naruto found himself flying out of the caged room, feeling as if someone had clasped him by his neck and flung him out of the room forcefully._

"_Good bye, kit." The gentle whispered voice disappeared as Naruto opened his eyes and blinked at his surroundings…_

"Naruto!" cried out a familiar voice, Naruto blinked up at the face in front of him, he could have sworn he knew that face. "Naruto!" the voice was beyond irritated and he quickly found himself looking at the dirt of the cave he was sleeping in with everyone.

"Huh? What happened? Did I fall asleep?" Naruto mumbled as he tried to pick himself up from the floor of the cave, but found that his throbbing head was making everything spinning.

"Naruto you ass!" Ino snapped out as she stood in front of him, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Huh? What I'd do?" Naruto mumbled as he lifted himself onto his hands and knees. "Oh! Ino you're not dead!" Ino immanently gave him another thump on his head.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled at the squabbling blonds, he lazily turned his head towards the entrance of the cave, the rest of the team was outside trying to gather themselves together— and play at the same time.

"Hay Kuranai-sensei, did you guys learn anything on your way over here?" Kiba asked suddenly, which promptly earned him a Snow ball in his face, curtsy of Tenten. "You're dead!" Kiba's snow ball missed Tenten and hit Kankoro instead, and hence started the snow ball fight: ninja style. It was every man for himself, although the girls seemed to drift together to pin the boys down.

Gaara and Naruto both decided that it might be safer inside the cave, Jiraya and Kuranai soon joined them by the fire; even Tamari didn't bother with the game, until someone through a snow ball at her and it went down her dress— then it was war.


	4. Chapter 4: Family masks

Kura Haruno

…

"So that's how it is…" Shikamaru's soft voice woke Gaara from his musings, "So Sakura has an older twin, that's interesting."

"How is that interesting?" Kiba asked as he dropped more fire wood into the fire, "Does it matter that she has an older sister?"

"She's not just an older sister," Shino said calmly.

"So what if their twins; does that have a special meaning to you?" Kiba asked

"That other girl is the _older_ twin," Neji answered, his pale eyes locked onto the fire. "In my clan it doesn't matter if twins are born into the branch family, but if their bourn into the main house?" Neji shook his head, "Then the youngest twin would be forced into the branch family, like what they did with my father and uncle."

"Oh,"

"It's not just that," Shikamaru continued, "Even when they were in Konoha and again with Gaara's team, they kept mentioning Sakura dyeing."

"Wait a second," Naruto spook up, slowly he turned to Tamari and Kankoro. "You guys said that one of the men that Gaara didn't kill said that twins are given one name that is split into two, right?"

"Yeah, he gave us a weird name, but he basically said names like Sakura's would be split so that the older twin would be named 'Saku' and the younger would be named 'Kura'" Tamari answered "What does that have anything to do with them being twins?"

"It has everything to do with it." Shikamaru answered; looking towards the sky as if he wanted to do nothing more than run way from this whole problem. "Back in Konoha, one of the women we captured, she was teasing Ino when she called to Sakura. She said," Shikamaru paused briefly, trying to remember that strange woman's exact words. "She said that we didn't even know anything about Sakura."

Shino nodded his head, he recalled what that woman had said; he also remembered that woman killing Ino. It took Kiba and him everything they had to keep Hinata from freaking out and doing something that she'd regret.

"Yeah you're right," Kiba agreed "What the hell was that woman's problem anyway?"

"She was pissed that Ino worked with a downed Anbu and that she had managed to get cut by a Genin's trick." Shikamaru answered "I'm just glad Ino didn't die…" Shikamaru whispered to himself. It was a silent understanding that Sakura and Ino were close, even when they were fighting; it was just that neither one of them wanted to admit _how_ close they were. Suddenly Shikamaru sighed as the thought hit him, of course that woman would tease Ino about calling out to Sakura; Ino had called to her pink haired friend by the wrong name.

"Damn," sighed Shikamaru, "I'm really starting to hate this clan."

"Hmm," Neji agreed, "I just thought about it."

"Huh? What is it?" Kiba asked, why should he think when he had two geniuses next to him?

"The Sakura we know isn't actually named Sakura Haruno, her name is Kura Haruno." Tamari answered with a sigh.

"Why didn't I think about it before? She never responded well to 'Saku-chan'" Naruto hid his face in his knees, berating himself for not noticing before. "She always just walked faster and completely ignored us!"

"How the hell were we supposed to know?" Kiba snapped "It's not like any of us actually knew anything about Sakura!"

"We don't even know where she lives…" Shikamaru answered, he eyed Naruto but the blond boy just gowned and shook his head.

"I only know where her parent's work! I've never been to her house…" Naruto whispered, "I've never even _seen_ her parents before."

"How is she your guys' friend if you guys _still_ don't know anything about her?" Tamari asked eyeing the boys in front of her, she wasn't even a part of Konoha and she at least knew where Sakura lived! At least she hoped that's where the pinket lived; she wasn't so sure anymore. "I mean, Naruto you're her teammate, how come you've never been to her house?"

"Because it never occurred to him," Shikamaru answered eyeing the moping blond.

"Not true!" Naruto snapped back "I know were Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke live! Sakura just didn't say anything." Naruto answered more calmly "She was always on time, so there was no reason to go look for her at her house, sometimes she even showed up insanely early."

"Hell even I know were Shino and Hinata live!" Kiba nearly snapped at Naruto.

"Of course you know where Hinata lives," Answered Neji, "You had to pick her up enough times, I'm sure you picked up its location eventually." Kiba glared at Neji. "And you've properly had to run to Shino for help in getting rid of flees more than once…" now Shino glared at him. Tamari chuckled at them, clearly they miss their girls.

"So how long have you boys been without your girls?" Tamari asked eyeing them with a sly smile on her face.

"Nearly a month," Kiba answered "I'm even starting to miss Ino a little bit."

"Dude that's sad" Naruto said calmly.

"Hay! Ino's mine to worry about." Shikamaru snapped out, a smile splitting across his face. "You should be missing Hinata." Kiba paled and pointed at Neji franticly. "What? You didn't want him to know that you've got a slight crush on Hinata?" Shikamaru snickered, Kiba immanently scrambled away from Neji to hide behind Shino.

"Your evil." Kiba barked back, Neji smiled at the fire; oh the things he could do to Kiba without even needing to try. "See! Look at what you did!" Kiba waved a terrified finger at Neji "I'm too young to die!"

"That's only concerning if your good looking." A voice called back, the entire team immanently went into defensive position; everyone but Tamari, Kankoro and Gaara, who all stayed perfectly calm close to the fire.

"We've left you guys alone for way to long." Said another voice as a figure stepped into the light. "Did you have any idea how hard it was for us to find you guys?" Tenten asked lightly, the boys visibly relaxed.

"How long have you been tracking us?" Neji asked as he scooted over for Tenten, the brunet gratefully took the offered seat.

"About a week ago," Tenten answered calmly, she eyed Shikamaru as she gestured to someone in the darkness to come closer.

"A week after you guys left Ino woke up." Everyone turned to see Hinata approaching, her arms full of small twigs and sticks. "And it took her another week to walk strait again." Neji nodded as Shikamaru all but collapsed in his seat, he would never tell how worried he truly was about Ino.

"If you guys don't mind, we have a shelter over there." Tenten answered pointing in the direction they had just come from.

"Sensei found the cave easily enough." Hinata agreed calmly.

"How far away is the cave?" Shikamaru asked. "Who's all there?"

"Not far and the rest of our teams." Tenten said as she stood. "Oh! It's a pleasure to finely meet you guys; you must be the sand shinobi we were told about." Tamari nodded her head; she recalled the mention of another team coming with them when they left for wave, she just hadn't known what to expect.

"Alright!" Kiba called out one of his arms wrapped around Hinata with Shino on her other side. "Time for a reunion!" and off like a rocket Kiba, Shino and Hinata were off for the cave; Hinata leading the way. Tenten giggled and fallowed suit, Neji hot on her heals.

"Ah geez Kiba, why don't you shut up?" Shikamaru groaned, before he fallowed after them, Tamari and Kankoro chuckling after them. Naruto stood starring at the fire; Gaara was leaning against a tree not too far away.

"Aren't you going to fallow them?" Naruto asked, not bothering to look up at Gaara.

"I'll fallow you," Gaara replied calmly.

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend." Naruto glanced at him then, his eyes were full of pain.

"I know that," Naruto whispered "I meant, why are you helping to find Sakura? I don't believe that you came just because she's my teammate or that Tsunade asked for help from your village because you have dozens of teams that could have been sent." Naruto starred at Gaara.

"The last time I checked, you haven't seen her since the Chunin exams, when you knocked her out for standing between you and Sasuke. Don't use me as an excuse to come, why did you rush here to help us, when you don't know a lot about Sakura?" Gaara didn't have an answer, it didn't take Naruto long to realize that even Gaara didn't understand why he came running to help.

"Come on, the others are waiting." Naruto sighed and kicked some snow over the fire until even the sticks were buried, Gaara nodded his head and quickly fallowed after Naruto into the trees. It didn't take them long to find the others, Shikamaru looked like he was ready to die.

"I thought you said it wasn't fare?" Shikamaru snapped out as he kicked off another branch.

"If you guys were faster we'd be there by now!" snapped Tenten, Naruto glanced at his teammates, the only ones who appeared to still be full of energy were Gaara's team, Neji, Hinata and Tenten. "One would think that you'd be faster by now!"

"We are faster!" Kiba snapped back. "You try stopping Naruto when the Kiyobi is leaking out!" Tenten and Hinata shared a look, a look Naruto wasn't sure he wanted to know the translation of.

"Hey Naruto!" Tenten cried as she turned in mid leap, with a wink and a blown kiss Tenten held Naruto's eyes; until she saw Neji nearly face plant a nearby tree. She couldn't help but laugh, her trick didn't work on her intended target but it still worked!

"Tenten!" Neji began to scold when he landed next to her on the ground "Since when did you flirt?"

"Since I learned how to." Tenten replied as she pointed in front of her, turning Neji saw a large Cave entrance. A black and white cloth was pulled aside by Hinata, revealing a warm firry glow from inside. "Lee's been giving me all kinds of trouble; go in first so he doesn't see me please."

Upon entering the cave, Hinata dropped the curtain back over the entrance and was pleased to see that no one from outside the cave would have even known about it being there at all.

When Neji ducked inside he saw that Tenten wasn't kidding when she said that the rest of their teams were here. There was Kuranai, Anko, Shizune, Jiraya, Lee and Choji and off in the corner of the cave Neji could see Ino asleep and curled up into several thick blankets; laying beside her was a knocked out Shikamaru.

"So what do we do now?" Choji asked as he stuffed his face with some meat "Shikamaru just came in and collapsed, he didn't even say hi."

"We'll talk in the morning Choji, for now everyone go to sleep!" Kuranai smiled as she headed to her bed. "Jiraya," Kuranai spoke up, eyeing the older man. Jiraya twitched and immanently rushed to his place at the entrance of the cave, Naruto watched him with wide eyes. From Jiraya there was Anko and then Kuranai; from there the teams all fell into place together, Ino was surrounded by Choji and Shikamaru, Team Eight slept close together next to Kuranai, Tamari and Kankoro didn't stray too far from the fire and Gaara was leaning against the cave wall opposite to Naruto's seat closest to the fire in the center of the cave.

"Naruto," Jiraya whispered softly, the blond boy looked up at his teacher and tilted his head slightly at him. "Get some sleep, me and Gaara got this." Jiraya said calmly. Naruto nodded his head and closed his eyes, it's not like he'd ever get any sleep anyways; he was too worried about Sakura to do anything else. But then again her name wasn't Sakura was it?

_Why couldn't he see anything? It was so dark in this strange wide open room, so dark he didn't know right from left or up from down, why was he here in this dark place were no light shined? Off in the distance, like a faded memory trying to surface, he could hear the sounds of laughter; the sound tightened his chest and stung his eyes. He'd heard that sound before, it was a happy sound, a good sound, yet he felt as if he could die, why?_

"—_to," Giggled a voice, still so far away. _

"—_to, what are you doing?" it was closer and he knew that voice! It was his child hood crushes' voice; it was Sakura's voice… _

"—_to," her voice whispered again, so gentile it broke his heart._

"—_to?" her voice called, curious how he didn't respond._

"—_to?" she wasn't happy anymore, she was becoming scared "—to!" _

"_I'm here!" Naruto called, "I'm right here! Fallow my voice!" he prayed that it was his name Sakura was calling for._

"—_to!" it was breaking his heart to hear that fear in her voice, he could almost see her face in his mind's eye; wait, he could see her face._

"—_to!" she called out again, Naruto could see Sakura, but she was so far away, he could barely make out that pink hair of hers, but it was like he was being drawn to her. _

"—_to!" she was becoming desperate and it broke his heart, little by little he was getting closer to her, Sakura's image becoming clearer and clearer with each second; and then he saw her image turn into a scene._

"_Sakura!" Naruto called out, Sakura was walking away from him, as if she hadn't heard him, he wanted to see her smiling face one more time; what he wouldn't do to see her smile. Sakura was walking amongst the cheery blossom trees, it was a whole grove of cheery trees; the wind gently brushed by her, making her hair swirl around her head and move to show her back. That blood colored dress of hers was never more beautiful then now, and Naruto never knew how much he loved that pale snow white circle on her back._

"_Where are you?" Sakura called out, her hand rested on a nearby cheery blossom. "—to?" Sakura called out, her crimson dress dragged on the petal covered ground, creating a never ending swirl of Cheery blossoms at her feet. Suddenly a fox appeared at Sakura's feet, it was such a strange looking fox; Naruto never knew that foxes could have been so big, or that they could have such a human look to them._

"_Narune!" Sakura called, her voice filled with joy, "Narune have you seen —to?" Sakura crouched before the fox, her hand out stretched and petting the creature who was starring strait into her eyes._

"—_to is your elder brother is he not?" the fox asked as he leaned his head into Sakura's hand. That was when Naruto realized that something was greatly wrong, Sakura didn't have a brother and foxes didn't talk!_

"_Yes –to is my brother." Sakura conformed, "Have you seen him?" the fox sighed and stood from his place at her feet, Sakura watched as the fox turned and walked away; Naruto stared too, that fox was big enough to kill a man!_

"_Narune," Sakura called softly as she stood, her long hair swaying with her movements as she gently and silently fallowed after the crimson orange fox. "Narune where are you taking me?" Sakura asked calmly as she gently fallowed, Naruto didn't know what to think; it was strange to see Sakura walk calmly with a fox that reached up to her waist easily._

"_There is something you must see," the fox whispered gently, so softly that Naruto almost didn't hear him._

"_I'm sorry?" Sakura asked, "What was that? I didn't hear you Narune, could you repeat that?" Sakura tilted her head to the side, trying to see the fox's eyes._

"_I said I'm taking you to your brother." Narune quickly covered his blunder, "I'm taking you to the edge of the forest." Sakura stopped then, Naruto watched as Narune the fox turned slightly towards her. "Haru-san come, we have to hurry if you wish to see your brother again." Naruto watched Sakura as she watched the fox continued forward, a thousand questions swarmed Naruto's mind, why did she pause? Why did the fox call Sakura, Haru-san? Who was that person Sakura was calling for? Why couldn't he here the name she called?_

"_To the edge of the forest then, my friend." Sakura whispered gently. Why the hell could he only see her back? He wanted to see her face! He wanted to see her eyes! Why couldn't he move? Why was just the sight of Sakura enough to freeze him? He should be running into her arms laughing and smiling as they lost balance and fell to the ground as he smothered her in his arms. Naruto fallowed Sakura as she fallowed the fox to the edge of her land, she starred out over the rolling hills; there was a lake at the bottom of the hill nearby and a large house not far from it._

"_I don't see Nii-chan." Sakura whispered, with a calm glance down at the fox who sat at her feet._

"_I know, he'll get here soon." Narune whispered, Sakura looked down at the fox, her green eyes wide._

"_So it's time," Sakura whispered, her soft voice carried on the wind, "It's finally time to die." It almost sounded as if she were happy; Naruto didn't want to believe that Sakura was actually happy to die. She had a dream; she wanted to marry, she wanted to have kids, she wanted to protect her home and die trying to do so. Sakura had her whole life planned out right down to her last breath, so why was she happy to hear that she was going to die? She was only thirteen! She wasn't even dating yet; her dreams haven't even taken any form from beyond her imagination._

_Off in the distance Naruto could hear the sounds of a funeral parade and as the sounds got louder and louder he saw the many people marching up the road to the Cheery Blossom forest. Soon Naruto saw a woman holding a picture of a man, two men fallowed close behind her; it looked as if a whole Village was walking behind them calmly and slowly. Naruto spotted six men caring a large bed with a roof over it and through the clear white cloth surrounding it's sides, Naruto saw the body of a middle aged man inside._

"_Hello Eiko-chan," Sakura calmly spook, she bowed deeply and waved a hand to inside the pink forest. "Please join me in my home."_

"_It is a pleaser to see you again Imoto," Eiko bowed, her hands still grasping her husband's picture almost tightly. "Can my sons join me within your home?"_

"_I'm afraid not Eiko-chan," Sakura eyed the older woman for a moment "Only you and my brother may enter." The two men behind Eiko stiffened._

"_Chi-chi-san is dead." Snapped the younger man, his midnight blue eyes cold and distant, "How can he go anywhere with you?" Suddenly there was growl and before either man could react, the fox by Sakura's feet lunged forward and hid himself underneath Sakura's brother's burial bed. In seconds that bed was lifted into the air and the man's body and the fox were behind Sakura in the blink of an eye. Both men stuttered and gasped, trying to understand how something could move so fast, as they looked between their pink haired aunt and their mother, the men saw the rest of their party scatter down the hill once more; they wanted nothing to do with the pink haired demon._

"_My sons," Eiko said softly, "Please return to our home and __be safe__." Eiko straitened and offered Sakura her hand. "Tell the other's that I will not be returning."_

"_What?" One of the men snapped out; Sakura hesitated in grabbing Eiko's hand, she didn't want to rush into anything that might make the older woman hesitate._

"_But Kaa-san!"_

"_But nothing," Snapped Eiko, even Sakura raised an eyebrow at the older woman's response. "I go to be with my husband now." She didn't even glance back at her sons; Sakura locked eyes with Eiko, nodded her head once and grasped the older woman's hand gently. That was when everything changed, a gust blew around the two women and when it settled, the boys didn't know if they should charge at Sakura or not. Eiko was not hunched over in pain and she didn't have white streaks in her graying hair, no, Eiko stood tall and her hair was as dark as midnight._

"_Come home, my sister." Sakura whispered gently, she stepped back and revealed her brother's open casket. Eiko and her son's gasped in surprise; there sitting in the burial bed sat the man that had died only days before, Eiko's husband and Sakura's brother. "It's time for us to go home." Sakura whispered gently, she gently pulled at Eiko's hand and just as gently, Sakura guided Eiko to her husband; the older woman sputtering and teary eyed all the way, yet she didn't stop crying in joy at the sight._

"_Kaa-san," whispered one of the sons, "what's happened to you?" slowly, painfully slowly it seemed to the young men; Eiko turned towards her sons. Her hand tightly held by Sakura, Eiko smiled brilliantly at her boys as tears fell from her eyes._

"_Your father has come to take me home." Eiko said, her son's couldn't believe the woman before them. She wasn't middle aged with old wiry eyes, no, she was at least 16 years old; as old as she was when she got married to their father._

"_Kaa-san," whispered the older man, Eiko smiled and waved good bye to her sons. She gently climbed into her husband's burial bed, kissed him and laid down next to him, Sakura smiled gently at the two of them. How could she not? She had spent almost her whole life standing beside them, thick and thin she stood by them. _

"_You can leave now boys, I have it under control." Sakura whispered gently to the two men at the entrance of her forest. She turned away from them then and wasn't surprised when one tried to charge into the forest. She heard the growl and the startled yelp of the man as he jumped back away from the entrance, slowly Sakura turned back to the two men; a smile playing on her lips. "This is the land of the dead. You, the living, are not permitted within these pink boundaries." _

"_You owe me big time." Narune whispered to Sakura as they gently walked away from the entrance, Sakura eyed her summoned fox. He grew large enough to carry the funeral bed; she knew he wasn't having any trouble caring the weight on his back._

"_When will you collect?" Sakura asked gently, she was curious as to what he would demand this time._

"_Soon," was all the fox said, Sakura tilted her head at the animal beside her, she was curious as to what he'd demand from her. But he didn't even hint at what he wanted. Sakura shrugged and continued forward, she didn't pause when several animals fell into step beside her and Narune, she didn't twitch when the old bird Tonka squawked rudely at her._

"_Stupid bird," Narune snarled at the blue bird of Sakura's brother's summoning. "Why aren't you even nice to Haru-san? She's your master now."_

"_The hell she is, I just want to go home to my own nest." Tonka snapped out, he continued to mumble to himself, and for once Narune was glad he didn't hear just what the crazy bird had said._

"_Honorable friend of –to Onsanran," Sakura said as she bowed to the bird, Tonka looked down at Sakura from his great perch upon a door that lead to a wide flat stone as big as a house. "I ask for your assistance with my brother's body and that of his bride." Tonka eyed the burial bed on Narune's back and promptly turned his head away to lay inside his wing furthest from the path were the pink haired woman and her animal friends stood. _

_Narune scoffed at the Tonka's attempt to ignore them, the fox simply jumped to the other side of the door where Tonka's nest sat and gently placed the burial bed on the smooth flat rock. Tonka opened his eye and saw his master's body be placed in the middle of the circler stone that had many rings carved upon it; he also watched as the fox jumped up onto his pedestal that looked like a door. Tonka lifted his head as he saw two other animals jump up onto their placements, the other three animals were staring at him as if they were waiting for him to do something. _

"_Tonka," It wasn't until around sunset that Tonka heard the whispered voice of the woman he only slightly hated._

"_Tonka," whispered the soft voice again, he really hated that woman sometimes. Tonka looked down at the woman standing before his door, he really didn't want to be there, but he was too old to simply fly back home now. Now he had to wait for his master's body to completely disappear with all traces of his chakra in order to disappear back home. He heaved a heavy sigh and flapped his wings in annoyance._

"_One of these days girl, you are going to pay with your life." Tonka said as he lifted into the air and circled his master's body on the stone pad, briefly Tonka noticed how the rings in the stone looked like his master's eyes. He landed atop the burial bed and set it a flame, for a moment he didn't feel like leaving the burial bed; he just wanted to rest beside his master like his wife had. But at the same time Tonka really didn't look forward to dyeing, he had a wife to get back to; he wondered if his matte's eggs had hatched yet…_

_Lazily Tonka lifted himself back to his little nest, and ignored the relived sigh from the woman below him._

"_Thank you Tonka, I owe you my life." And the woman bowed lowly to him, Tonka debated whether or not to roast her alive. He knew the fox liked his master a little too much, but Tonka also knew that the fox wouldn't let anyone kill the woman despite the fact that her reason for living was just destroyed before her._

"_Go away," Tonka snapped "You're giving me a headache."_

"_My life is yours, master Tonka." The woman said with a smile at the flaming blue bird, Tonka returned his cold gaze back to the pink haired girl. She hadn't aged a single day since she summoned the tamales fox, none of her summonings, or demons that came by for the hell of it, would ever think about killing her. He was her only chance at death, and Tonka wasn't all that sure he was ready to kill the annoying girl that he had gotten so used to over the years._

"_Be careful of what you say to a demon girl," Tonka said steadily, "You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep." Sakura looked startled at the blue bird before her, did he not believe her? She was sure that Tonka would kill her, he'd been threatening to do so for years now, would he not go through with it?_

_The fire of her brother's burial didn't stop burning until an hour before sunrise, it was then that Narune jumped down from his perch and gently pushed Sakura back to the edge of the cheery tree forest, where they had first meet with Eiko and her children._

"_What is it Narune?" Sakura whispered, it was then that she saw eight small children, all sitting in a semicircle; four sitting on the outside of the forest, four sitting on the inside. Narune gently pushed Sakura into the center of the circle, none of the children looked at her and Narune refused to speak to her. "Narune," Sakura whispered, confusion etched on to her face, Narune sat down on the outside of the circle._

"_Haru Onsanran," Narune spook up, "you have been found to be the keeper of history; you will stop aging now and never again be killed." Sakura paled and starred almost horrified at the fox. "You will travel from place to place by the season of spring, were the first cherry blossom bloom in spring, you shall appear. You will leave again once spring ends or if you take a great responsibility onto yourself, then you shall return here once more."_

"_W-w-what?" Sakura whispered, suddenly the children did some hand signs and in seconds there was chakra completely surrounding her, each child a different color of Chakra emitted from them. "What's going on? I don't understand!"_

"_Haru Onsanran," Narune said calmly, "You have been chosen to be the keeper of history;" Sakura stared at the fox, fearing that the picture in her mind just might be real "You will be…immortal." That she understood, Narune was telling her that she would never see her brother in the next life; did Narune not understand the pain in her heart?_

"_No!" Sakura cried, Naruto starred at her, "NO!" she cried out again, she was frantic and desperate; she didn't want to be immortal. "You can't do this! Narune—!"_

_Naruto watched horrified as the children's chakra surged and surrounded Sakura, her screams echoed off the hills. It wasn't long before Naruto had covered his ears for fear that her screams would never leave his head, but he could still hear her._

"_Forgive me," whispered a soft voice, for a moment Naruto thought he had imagined it. "Forgive me," it whispered again, Naruto looked back up and saw that it wasn't his imagination. Naruto eyed the fox Narune, and watched as tears gathered in his eyes, the whispered apologies were the fox's thoughts. "Forgive me…my love…" Naruto starred wide eyed at the fox, the fox was in love with a human? Could that even happen?_

"_Narune-sama!" cried one of the children, "We can't hold this for much longer!" Narune snapped his attention to the child, how could they not have enough chakra for this? He was sure that these eight were the strongest children of Haru and her brother's line. If he didn't do something soon, then Haru and the children were going to die!_

"_If we don't do something then the processes will fail!" cried out a red haired boy, Naruto swore he'd seen that boy before. "Haru-sama will die if we don't do something!" with a roar of thunder there was a storm of animals surrounding the children, Naruto watched as thunderous voices roared out at Narune, furious at the fox for his actions._

"_SILENCE!" roared a voice angrily, the silence was deafening as everyone turned to one angry flaming blue bird. "What you done now, you damn fox?"_

"_I was hoping to make her the keeper of history…" the Fox replied calmly as he stood slowly from his place just outside the rang of the pink forest. The resounding gasps of the different animals was almost unheard by the sudden scream of one of the children. There was no way that she could stand this sealing for much longer, "I do not wish to lose her…" with that whisper, Narune joined the children in the circle. Naruto watched as the fox's crimson colored chakra flared and stabilized the other children, even Sakura seemed to stabilize; her screams stilled and she seemed to float in the air as the Chakra rolled around her._

"_Stupid fox," Whispered Tonka, "You love her so much that you would make her an immortal… at the price of you and these children," Tonka sighed and watched as Narune refused to answer him, Tonka studied the other children and then moved his eyes to the floating girl in the wild chakra. It didn't take him long to see the tears that were braced against the girl's closed eyes, as if she was asleep and didn't know she was crying._

"_You will not be able to stabilize her for much longer," Tonka sighed as he flapped his wings, "I will give you aid, just this once." Tonka picked out the child that was bound to die first and quickly landed on her shoulder's and felt his chakra immanently get absorbed by the curse that was left to make Haru immortal._

"_I'm doing this because I love her," Narune said, gritting his teeth, "Why are you?"_

"_Because she is my hatchling…" Tonka whispered calmly._

_Naruto watched as slowly, one by one, a few of the animals stepped forward and placed their head against the back of one of the children. Naruto watched as one child, to Narune's left, received a bull who later had a demon octopus attach to his side to keep him from falling over, only to get attached to the processes and unable to let go._

_Little by little, the scene before Naruto slowly faded away; as if something was dragging Naruto away from the memory and it didn't take him long to find himself before the cage of the great Kiyobi demon._

"_Do you understand now, boy?" Kiyobi asked, a strange blue glow to his eyes, "Do you understand how I came to be?" Naruto thought about what he had seen, it didn't take him long to figure out that the Sakura he had dreamed of wasn't actually Sakura, but he didn't know anyone by the name of Haru. He didn't even know what an Onsanran was, he'd never heard of the name before; he didn't even understand how the Kiyobi was related to his strange dream, but then again…_

"_Is your name Narune?" Naruto whispered to the fox caged before him, "Are you that fox who turned that woman into an immortal?" the fox heaved a heavy sigh._

"_Yes," If not for all the stories that he had heard about the wild demon fox, Naruto would have thought that, that sigh sounded sad._

"_Did she really turn into an immortal? And what happened to those children? Did they die? What about the animals that helped them? Did they die too?" Naruto asked he had a deep sinking feeling in his chest; he felt as if he just lost something important, he almost felt like the night he found out that the fox was sealed inside of him._

"_Yes," Kiyobi said calmly, "Haru-san was turned into an immortal, the children died and the animals that sustained them until the process was finished were turned into demons; like myself."_

"_Do you regret it?" Naruto asked after a moment, "Do you regret turning that woman into an immortal? Even though you'll never get to stand beside her again?" the fox seemed to think for a moment._

"_Sometimes I regret not being able to stand beside her," Kiyobi answered slowly, "Over all though?" Kiyobi hesitated for a moment "No." he finally answered, "I don't think I ever regretted turning her into an immortal." Naruto studied the huge caged fox, he almost felt sorry for the Kiyobi._

"_Hey, wait a moment!" Naruto shouted as a thought occurred to him, "Does that mean that your name isn't Kiyobi but Narune?"_

"_Yes," the fox said calmly, his blue eyes blinking slowly at the small blond before him "although I am not used to hearing that name without the hatred attached to it and someone trying to kill me on sight."_

"_So the other's pretty much hate you, huh?" Naruto gave the demon fox a shy smile, he could understand wanting to keep his precious people safe at whatever coast, although he didn't quite know if he'd ever let other's die for protecting those he loved. _

"_So…" Naruto immanently forgot what he was going to ask because suddenly the fox howled out in pain and with a flash the Kiyobi before him was back to his original self, red eyes and all. There was a flash and suddenly something flew out of the cage of the demon and surrounds the outer chamber on the other side of the room. When Naruto opened his eyes again he was at the entrance to the room that held the blood red Kiyobi, and blocking his entrance was a glowing white form, snarling and barking the two huge forms of foxes seemed to fight one another; even as the huge gate prevented either one from landing any hits on the other._

"_What just happened?" Naruto asked, the white fox paused and backed away from the gate._

"_We separated," snapped out the red eyed demon Kiyobi. "Don't ever do that again!"_

"_Oh shut up you sore loser," snapped back the white fox as he shrank himself so that Naruto could enter the room again. "I think you've seen enough, little kit." The fox seemed to smile down at Naruto, "it's about time for you to wake up, its morning after all."_

"_Huh?" and then Naruto found himself flying out of the caged room, feeling as if someone had clasped him by his neck and flung him out of the room forcefully._

"_Good bye, kit." The gentle whispered voice disappeared as Naruto opened his eyes and blinked at his surroundings…_

"Naruto!" cried out a familiar voice, Naruto blinked up at the face in front of him, he could have sworn he knew that face. "Naruto!" the voice was beyond irritated and he quickly found himself looking at the dirt of the cave he was sleeping in with everyone.

"Huh? What happened? Did I fall asleep?" Naruto mumbled as he tried to pick himself up from the floor of the cave, but found that his throbbing head was making everything spinning.

"Naruto you ass!" Ino snapped out as she stood in front of him, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Huh? What I'd do?" Naruto mumbled as he lifted himself onto his hands and knees. "Oh! Ino you're not dead!" Ino immanently gave him another thump on his head.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled at the squabbling blonds, he lazily turned his head towards the entrance of the cave, the rest of the team was outside trying to gather themselves together— and play at the same time.

"Hay Kuranai-sensei, did you guys learn anything on your way over here?" Kiba asked suddenly, which promptly earned him a Snow ball in his face, curtsy of Tenten. "You're dead!" Kiba's snow ball missed Tenten and hit Kankoro instead, and hence started the snow ball fight: ninja style. It was every man for himself, although the girls seemed to drift together to pin the boys down.

Gaara and Naruto both decided that it might be safer inside the cave, Jiraya and Kuranai soon joined them by the fire; even Tamari didn't bother with the game, until someone through a snow ball at her and it went down her dress— then it was war.


	5. Chapter 5

"_Clearly I wasn't aiming for you." The red haired boy replied calmly as he pointed to the ship. Ikisu turned in time to see the blond girl give a furious swing of her giant fan, forcing the ship into movement and forcing the boy in black over the side with her little sister in his arms._

"_What?! No!" Ikisu went to stop the strangers on our boat but found a spear through his chest. "Huh?" Ikisu stared dumbly at the spear-like sand protruding from his chest._

"_IKISU—!" I cried as I clung desperately to the edge of the ship as it sailed quickly out to sea. Ikisu wouldn't just leave us like that; he couldn't just have up and died on them! _

"Ikisu…" I whispered, I couldn't believe that he just abandoned them.

"Yes?" the voice was soft and behind me, I snapped around; not believing my eyes. "You called for me?" Ikisu was standing a few feet behind her, his thin light eye brow raised in question at her.

"Ikisu!" she lunged herself into the older man's arms, "You bastard!" with one hit she sent the older man to the lower deck with a rather nasty looking black eye. "Don't do that! I thought you'd died!"

"Easy there Saku," Ikisu said calmly as he sat up, "I'm low on energy, it was hell doing so many jutsu's at once ya' know."

"So where's Imoto?" the pink haired girl asked as she eyed him wirily, she slowly turned around on her upper deck, looking for anything that shouldn't be there. She found it easily enough, a genjutsu in the corner of the ship; just feet from where she stood when they were forced out to sea. "Founder her," she whispered gently as Ikisu gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I knew you would, that's why I made sure she didn't stray." Ikisu smiled at her.

"Kura-chan won't be happy if she finds out that you kill some of our clansman." She whispered to the blond man beside her as she lifted the genjutsu. Kura Haruno, kinochi of Konoha appeared in the corner, her kimono was in the same shades of jade and sapphire as her elder sister's.

"Kura-chan it's time to go to bed, we won't get home for a few days; so we might as well sleep." Saku said calmly as she bent and offered her hand to Kura. Dull green eyes lazily looked up at her, Kura almost seemed confused or at least half asleep; slowly Kura raised her hand and placed it gently into Saku's hand. Saku smiled brightly at her twin; gently Saku pulled Kura to her feet and led her to their room just below the deck.

"Now Kura-chan," Saku started as she entered their room, "before we go to bed we have to eat and then we have to bath. Okay?" Kura nodded her head and glided gently to the nearby table and sat down gently, her hands folded into her lap.

"Is that Sakura Haruno?" asked a calm male's voice, Saku turned to the window in the back of the room. There in the corner stood a calm white haired boy with thin metal glasses.

"Kabuto," Saku whispered, "What are you doing here? I thought we paid you already for your information on sister."

"Oh you did Saku-sama," Kabuto answered with a smile, Ikisu step up next to Saku; he didn't trust this traitor. "I just wanted to see what your sister would do if she saw me."

"It appears she doesn't care." Ikisu replied as Saku placed herself next to her twin at the table.

"Yes, it does appear that she doesn't care about your appearance here." Saku said as she poured some tea for Kura and herself. "Here Imoto, some green tea, your favorite!" Kura looked at the cup being handed to her; slowly she wrapped her hands around it and took a slow sip from it. Saku beamed at her and started to dish up their plates with a smile on her face.

"I don't recall her ever acting like doll," Kabuto said as he walked over to the twins at their table, he watched as Ikisu lazily rested his hand on his sword at his hip. Kabuto knew better then to challenge him, he couldn't attack either of the twins; he'd be dead before he could blink. "I recall Sakura being a bubbly little girl," Kabuto said as he wrapped his fingers around Kura's chin and tilted her face towards him.

"Don't you remember me, Sakura-chan?" Kabuto asked, starring into Kura's eyes. Kura didn't even blink at him, she only sighed heavily as if she was disappointed and turned away from him to look at her twin; Kabuto felt as if he just disappointed his mother.

"Traitor…" Kura sighed in disappointment and placed her cup of tea on the table, Saku didn't keep eye contact with Kura. "Disappear…" Kura sighed heavily and turned to look out the window. Kabuto was shocked, the bubbly, girly-girl he had helped in the chunin exams seemed to have disappeared. Before him was someone who could make Sasuke nervous, Kabuto thought about Sakura's ex-teammate; he wounded how Sasuke would react to the knowledge that his old teammate had changed so much after his departure.

"As you wish princesses," Kabuto chuckled as he headed for the door, he paused briefly beside Ikisu. "It'd be disappointing to see the little heir disappear, she has a great mind; top of her class in Konoha." And he walked out of the room and headed for the deck.

"Saku, I don't trust that man." Ikisu said as he a gave a napkin to Kura, she immanently whipped at her chin as if trying to removed dried paint; "He's a traitor to his village, he can't be trusted." Kura glanced up at him; she sighed and nodded her head.

"I know, but…" Saku hesitated as she eyed her twin who appeared to be lost in her own world. "He did return her…"

"No Saku, he didn't." Ikisu said firmly, "_I _returned Kura to you, not him. All he did was inform us of her location, nothing more." Ikisu kneeled before Saku, he grasped her hands firmly and starred into her eyes, "We owe that man nothing." He urged, "I beg of you _Imoto_, give me permission!"

"He protected her in the chunin exams," Saku replied just as emotional, "He saved her life!"

"Not directly! I watched that fight and so did you!" Ikisu snapped "Imoto think about this! He betrayed his village! He betrayed _HER_!" Saku jerked at his tone, "He did not save her life when she was about to die, he hid beside her as her teammate wasted energy on their enemy so that they could rest and recover!"

"He helped them pass," Saku urged gently, glancing at her sister briefly, "I know we can't trust him, but we can give him some liberties—"

"You give an inch," Kura said, Saku and Ikisu jumped and turned towards her, "and he'll take your life." Saku stared at Kura and after a moment she heaved a sigh and nodded at Ikisu.

"Do what you must." Saku said as she turned away from Ikisu, "no one else can see him; he is left behind as soon as we hit the shore."

"I'll make arrangements to pick up the others on the more known islands." Ikisu said as he stood and walked to the door, pausing before the door, Ikisu turned to the twins. "It's good to have you back, honorable sister." Saku's eyes winded and before she could say anything, Ikisu was out of the room and locked the door behind him.

After their bath the twins were laying in their shared bed, Saku couldn't sleep and every time she closed her eyes she saw Ikisu standing before her with a gaping hole in his chest. Saku snuggled close to her twin who appeared to be asleep without any trouble, Saku knew better. Her sister was a daughter of the Haruno clan, she was a kinochi, she was a genin of Konoha; she would never sleep in enemy territory.

"I remember the day everything changed," Saku whispered gently, "do you?" Silence answered her, of course she remembered. How could either of them forget? It was the day they found their older brothers, a day they found each other and a day they found out who they truly were and what their clan truly was…

…

…

"_Saku! Kura!" called a woman's voice, "Get up here!" the twin girls rushed to their mother's side at the front of the ship, their pink hair flew around them as they ran; even their kimonos couldn't stop them from running. The woman chuckled as the twin girls collided into her, knocking her to the ground._

"_Mommy! Mommy!" the girl's chorused together, "Where are we going?" their mother couldn't help but laugh at them._

"_We're going to your father; he's on the main land." She answered them, her own pink hair fell around her shoulders; ticking their noses._

"_Is that the main land?" asked one of the girl's her eyes twinkling in wonderment and excitement. Their mother stood up and looked over to were her daughters were looking, through the mist she could see the outline of a land, still very far away. But they were getting closer to that land and she couldn't help but to smile._

"_Yes sweet heart, that's the mainland." Their mother answered, they knew that normally they wouldn't be on the boat to retrieve their father, but this wasn't a normal trip. It was a little more than an hour later when they finally reached the mainland, when they docked the girls were off running down the ramp; their mother calling after them._

"_Whoa! Whoa! Easy girls!" laughed a voice; the girl's immanently found themselves off the ground and hanging in the air by the backs of their shirts. "You shouldn't be running around like that," chuckled a man, "Someone might snatch you up before you can scream." At which point the twin girl's screamed so loud the man had no choice but to let go of them to save his own ears._

"_Well what do you say?" snapped out their mother as she looked down at her twins disappointedly, the twin girls were huddled behind her and starring at the strange man as if he were going to eat them. The man chuckled up at them from his place on the deck._

"_Forgive me lady Haru; I think I might have frightened them." The man said, laughter in his voice echoed up to them in the lazy mist. Both girls immanently gave disgruntled snorts and tightened their hold on each other's hands as they hid further behind their mother._

"_It is not you who is at fault, lord Mizukage." Their mother answered with a soft polite bow "I told my girls to walk down with ME." their mother glided down the steps and the girls watched, nearly hypnotized at the site. The twins looked at each other and mimicked their mother to the best of their abilities; they stepped into their place beside their mother and chimed a greeting to the strange man before them. "Where is my husband?"_

"_They learn fast," the man chuckled as he bowed lowly to them, ignoring the woman's question. "I am honored to have you here again this year. May the weather be fare and your stay pleasant." Once the girls got a look at his sharp eyes as he glanced at them at the end of his sentence, both girls decided that they didn't like him. _

"_May your reign be fare and your life pleasant," the pink haired woman said as she waved her hand for the Mizukage to lead them into the village not far away, she narrowed her emerald eyes at the man before her. The twins quickly climbed onto their pedestal and kneeled close together as they were carried down the streets of the hidden village of mist, they starred at store fronts and villagers as they passed. It was the first time they had ever come to the mainland and they'd never before been in a hidden village before, the girls couldn't help but feel excited as they eyed everything and everyone from behind their clear, pale blue drapes that separated them from everyone else._

"_Saku, Kura," their mother called, both twins turned towards their mother; it was odd how she didn't turn to them. "Stare a head girls, your father is awaiting us…"_

_The girls looked ahead to what was at the end of the street; there was a group of men and women all dressed in black, their faces were turned to the ground, refusing to look into the curious eyes of the five year olds before them. When they stopped before them, the girls eyed their mother; wouldn't she tell them to step aside and let them through? The woman stood up from her pedestal and took the Mizukage's hand as she stepped down to the wet soggy ground._

"_Mother!" Kura called out, what was their mother thinking? Kura glanced at her sister in question, what was she doing? It was too dangerous! Saku pressed her lips together as she narrowed her eyes, she was just as confused as Kura was._

"_Mother?" Kura called out again, a little more gently, their mother didn't turn to them._

"_Tsuki-san," the pink haired woman said calmly, the old woman turned towards her once daughter "Take the girls to the house please." The old grandmother of the current leader of the Haruno clan nodded her head gently. She gestured for those who walked beside the woman to stay beside her; Tsuki then took her place before the girl's platform and made sure they fallowed her down a side street. It broke her heart that her daughter was no longer able to call her Kaa-san like she used to, but at least she had her granddaughters who still relied on her heavily in their mother's place._

_Half an hour later the girls were still nowhere near their mainland house, the group of Haruno's found themselves down a deserted street and in the middle of thick fog. Tsuki frowned at her surroundings, the fog should have lifted by now, hell they should be sitting next to the fire by now! Suddenly Tsuki realized something about the fog, and she cursed her old age for not noticing it sooner._

"_Kenta!" Tsuki roared out, "remove the fog NOW!" in seconds the young man did as he was told, and with the help of three others they were able to remove the fog with in fifty feet of their position. Tsuki heard the twins gasp as they quickly clung to each other in fear, she also heard the family gasp and stutter as they all quickly panicked to surround the twins. Only Tsuki stood before the clan, before her stood a hundred shinobi, and those were just the ones she could see._

"_We are the Haruno clan!" Tsuki called out to the mass of shinobi, "Step aside and let us through!" only chuckles and light laughter answered her, Tsuki frowned at the shinobi around her. "Then I hope you all have your wills made out, because if none of you do as I say… then your all going to die."_

"_That's a lot of talk for you old woman," a man called out_

"_There's more to us then just what you can see!" Without warning the enemy shinobi jumped forward and attached the small band of Haruno's. If they thought that the Haruno's couldn't fight because of their expensive kimonos then they really should've done some research first._

_The Haruno clan jumped and dogged together as if they were a single being, they beat back the worst attaches and dogged all others. The twins held each other desperately, trying their best to be silent and believe in their kin, but as their platform began to tip a little too far to one side; the girls couldn't help but to let out startled shouts. Tsuki cursed under her breath and rushed to her granddaughters' side, but she'd never make it the way all these shinobi kept getting in her way._

_The rest of their clan was too busy to tend to the girls, only she could save them. Tsuki was almost to them, another burst of chakra filled leap and she'd be able to catch the twins; but then she couldn't move. Tsuki starred wide eyed as two shadows erupted from the mob and cushioned the girl's fall, she sighed once she saw the Haruno symbol on their back and turned towards her opponent quickly. _

_They were falling and there was no one to catch them, if they kept falling at this speed and they landed on the ground at their current angle; then they were going to get hurt badly! Kura clung desperately to Saku as the ground zoomed closer and closer to them, if they didn't move they wouldn't be able to move once they landed! Saku gritted her teeth and wrapped herself around Kura, if she cushioned Kura then she could run to safety, they shouldn't get hurt too badly if she was a cushion; Kura would be able to get one of the clansmen to help them. Saku gritted her teeth and prepared for a world of pain, only it never happened, at the last possible moment someone snatched Kura away from her and she was in someone else's arms protectively._

"_Ha! Caught you!" the person holding her cheered, Saku looked up into sky blue eyes, eyes as full of joy and happiness as the sea was deep. It was amazing how those blue eyes glowed so brightly, suddenly the boy turned to someone before him. "Ha! I win Ikisu! I caught the princess first!" Saku turned to see Kura in the arms of another boy, the boy was identical to the one who held her, they held the same ashy blond hair, the same ocean blue eyes and snow pale skin, they even wear the same styled Kimono._

"_Idiot Shiki," the other boy replied, that was when Saku noticed the difference, this other boy, Ikisu, his blue eyes were almost dead looking; like they belonged in a corps. "There are two princesses, how were you planning on protecting Kura-sama?" the boy holding Saku froze, she looked up at him and tilted her head to the side; that was a curious question and she was curious about the answer. Suddenly the boy started laughing, his hand reaching up behind his head to scratch at his neck nervously._

"_I guess I just knew you would take Kura-sama from me regardless of what I would have done!" the boy, Shiki, laughed, his checks were dusted with a light shade of red; Saku wondered if she should slap the boy for his idiocy. She didn't have time to ponder it further as Kura was placed gently beside her, she didn't need to look to know that their clan had once more surrounded them protectively._

"_Shiki! Ikisu!" their clansmen called out, sounding as if relieved, the majority of the enemy shinobi surrounded them once more. Kura tightened her hold on Saku's hand, she trying desperately not to show her fear, but she still shivered, so did Saku; but she felt as if she wasn't the one under scrutiny, like it wasn't her the clan was watching for any weakness._

"_Take the twins to the house! NOW!" someone ordered suddenly, Saku felt one of the boys snatch her away from Kura, she heard her sister cry out for her, she saw her sister over the older boy's shoulder; she was getting farther away with each step…_

_They've never been so far away from each other before…_

"_Don't worry princess," the boy named Shiki whispered to her, "Ikisu is the best Shinobi in the clan," he smiled as if this was a good thing, but Saku didn't feel better. "He'll protect her no matter what!" Saku leaned her head against the boy's shoulder and let a single tear of worry and fear escape her tightly shut eyes. She nearly launched herself out of Shiki's arms when she heard the terrified scream of Kura echo throughout the fog filled forest._

"_KU—RA—!" Saku screamed out as she fought against Shiki's strong arms holding her over his shoulder. Saku heard her echoing voice as her only answer for what seemed like an hour to her, only her own voice echoing back her sister's name; it wasn't long after the echoing started did she cruel in on herself in Shiki's arms, tears prickling her eyes as she held back her sobbing._

…

…

"Do you remember that day, when we were betrayed?" Saku whispered to Kura, but the other twin didn't reply at all; she just lay there next to her silently, as if she was dead. "You said no one would know if we switched places…" Saku whispered "But I think Ikisu-Nii-sama knows full well which one of us is which…"

…

…

"_Shhh, Shhh, its okay," Shiki soothed Saku gently, "its okay, everything will be okay, trust me!" but Saku's tears didn't stop falling and she never looked at him, she only starred at her feet over her knees, her arms tightly wrapped around her legs as if she were some expensive present._

"_Saku-Hime-sama, please!" Shiki pleaded, "Please don't cry, I'm no good with crying girls!" after a near hour and half of trying to cheer up the distraught girl, Shiki was at his whit's ends. He knew she had full rights to cry her eyes out because who wouldn't cry after finding their home completely destroyed and finding out that their family most likely wouldn't come looking for them because they were being led into a trap?_

_Shiki threw his arms up with an aggravated sound and turned to the window in the hid out, at least Shiki knew his brother would be arriving soon; this was the place they first met their master, Saku and Kura's father._

"_Ikisu-kun will be here soon, so you don't have to cry," Shiki whispered to Saku, "Because when Ikisu-nii arrives, you'll see Kura-Hime-sama again." Saku stiffened at this and turned her red rimmed eyes towards Shiki since they first arrived, it nearly broke his heart to see that much hope and trust in her emerald eyes. _

"_Really?" Saku whispered, as if she was afraid to believe in him, "Will Ikisu-nii really come here with Kura-chan?" Shiki nodded his head with a bright smile and a cheerful 'of course', Saku eyed him curiously. But then her eyes dulled again and she looked back down at her feet, "But how can he know where we are? We were supposed to be at the house…"_

"_Oh! Is that all that's worrying you?" Shiki asked with a chuckle, "Ikisu-kun will come here anyways, regardless of what happened at the house. After all this is where we first met your father."_

"_Huh?" Saku asked, her eyes locking on to Shiki's warm ocean blue orbs, "You know father? But he hasn't been home in years!" Shiki chuckled at Saku._

"_This is where your father found us, we were a little older then you when we came here to rest for the night. Your father was out hunting bugs, at least that's what he told us, and found us instead. He took us in and trained us, it wasn't long before Ikisu-kun out shinned even your father's best ninja." Shiki chuckled softly, Saku was completely amazed, so then that's what her father meant in his last letter, a surprise he couldn't wait to show her and Kura and their mother together._

"_It wasn't long ago that he officially adopted us, he only did so though to keep us from the mist village." Shiki's eyes narrowed in his thought, "He didn't seem to trust that village very much, something about it never having spring…" as Shiki's voice trailed off in thought, Saku's eyes widened and she jumped to her feet quickly, Shiki starred at her wide for a moment. "What is it? Is it something I said?"_

"_Did father say anything else to you about the spring?" Saku asked, Shiki blinked at her dumbly._

"_None come to mind…" Shiki answered slowly, "Why?"_

"_We need to leave! We need to leave now!" but whatever else Saku was going to say was cut off by an explosion from above, Saku scowled at the ceiling above her and made her way towards the excite. "They found us!"_

…

…

"I cried that first day," Kura whispered, Saku watched her sister open her green eyes lazily, "I remember being betrayed by my brother…" Saku's face twisted in pain and she barred her face into her sister's shoulder, the shoulder that she hasn't seen since she was five years old. "I really hate traitors… every traitor should die…" Saku hick-upped as she tried to hold back her tears, she sat up and rubbed furiously at her eyes, Kura slowly sat up and leaned against the head bored of their bed; emotionlessly watching her sister cry her eyes out.

"Y-you sh-should be-e n-na-a-amed-d S-S-Sa-a-aku-ur-r-ra-a!" Saku sobbed uncontrollably. "Yo-you're Th-the el-elde—est!" Kura starred at her sobbing twin, was she really that ugly when she cried all those times in Konoha? It's been nearly ten years since she last saw her sister, much less held her. Slowly and hesitantly, Kura wrapped her arm around Saku's shoulders, as soon as she touched her, Kura through herself into her sister's arms and just cried until she fell asleep like that. Kura starred at the ceiling, Saku was asleep on her chest, pinning her to the bed with her arms still wrapped awkwardly around her.

"I'm the eldest…" Kura whispered gently, "But l left so you could live… Imoto…" Kura would never really realize just who was listening to them, even if she knew they were there; there was nothing she could do about them.

…

…

The Haruno's ship took two months to reach their original destination, that's what happens when you make fifty some odd pit stops along the way to pick up scattered family members and to spread word to the others on other islands or distant forests. It was not long after their last stop that Saku and Kura eyed the approaching Island, they were dressed in matching blue and green kimonos rimmed in soft rabbit fur and cloaks from thick white fur of a bear that Saku and Kura really didn't want to think about at the moment. Their hand's were wrapped in a single tub of double thick white bear fur, their feet were in high shoes that kept their feet away from the cold snow that covered the ground of their home.

"It's been too long…" Kura whispered so softly that only Saku could hear her, the other girl just glanced at her sister and nodded her head almost absent mindedly.

"I can't wait to see mother…" Saku whispered just as softly, Kura tilted her head softly at her sister's words, her earrings tinkled against her hair and neck and the beads dangling from her soft crimson crown chimed softly in the rushing wind.

"So mother does live, I was curious about that…"

"Hmm, she will be happy to see you…" Kura didn't answer her twin; she was busy watching a few distant birds flying close to the Horizon. "The spirits will be pleased that you've returned, our home wasn't quite the same after… after… after everything…" Saku's voice died as she watched the water's below the ship, the spirits of the water and the animals of the oceans were swimming close to the ship; as if they were guiding it, or protecting it.

"Nee-sama…" Saku whispered gently, Kura cocked her head towards her twin in curiously as she stepped over to the edge of the boat and looked down into the waters.

"Nee-sama?" the voice had Saku snapping around to address the boy who snuck up on them, "I thought the overly emotional Saku-sama was the eldest?" Kura turned slowly and eyed Kabuto distastefully.

"I thought you left!" Saku snapped out before she could stop herself.

"I thought I told you to disappear…" Kura's soft voice was just barely loud enough to be heard over the wind.

"Ah! Well you see," Kabuto started as he scratched the back of his head, but quickly froze as a blade rested on his throat; he eyed the delicate smooth white wrist of Kura's hand. "I have a present for you…" Kabuto clarified, he couldn't see Saku anymore, but he was willing to bet that she was the one holding the Kunai to his liver.

"Sakura…" called a deep voice, Kura froze instantly; Saku squeaked and stood before Kura protectively; forcing Kura to remove her hand from Kabuto's neck. Thankfully Ikisu was there with his own Kunai at Kabuto's throat, his own irritation showing through the ticking of his eyebrow.

"You've certainly changed; I don't recall you being a princess." Kura turned her attention to the boy just behind Kabuto, her eyes winded in almost horror at the sight before her. Sasuke stood just behind Kabuto and just before Orochimaru, who seemed a little too happy to see her. "Although you certainly acted like one, now that I think about it; it actually makes sense, you were weak enough after all…"

Ikisu growled lowly at Sasuke, his hand rested on his sword at his hip; all he needed was the go ahead and the pesky brat that hurt his sister would die in less than the blink of an eye.

"Hello my dear," Orochimaru waved at the twins pleasantly, his eyes glowing with pride at the sight of fright in Kura's eyes. "I do believe the last time we met was during the Chunin exams."

"You aren't supposed to be here!" Saku snapped out protectively, Kura couldn't take her eyes away from Sasuke's; even if he wasn't looking at her. "Kabuto you were kicked off at Kikyo Island! How did you make it back here?"

"I'm a ninja Saku-sama," Kabuto answered, "so when you ordered one of your laciest to tie me to the tallest tree in nothing but my underwear-" Saku and Kura immanently eyed Ikisu who only tightened his hold on Kabuto's neck with his Kunai. "And drain me of most of my chakra, I get a little curious as to where you're going, so after I got released I talked to master Orochimaru and found your ship on the next island over and snuck aboard again."

"So in other words," Kura spook up; stepping out from behind Saku as she eyed Kabuto distastefully. "You bought or threatened your way onto our ship." Kabuto smiled lightly at her.

"That's another way of saying," Kabuto answered calmly, Kura sighed and waved Ikisu to stand beside her and Saku. Kabuto gave a polite smile and gave a relaxed stance. "Thank you Kura-chan, by the way Sasuke-kun," Kabuto turned towards his master and apprentice, "Which one of these two do you think is your team mate?"

"Why do I care about her?" Sasuke asked immanently, glaring rudely at Kabuto, "What was the point of bringing me here?"

"Because Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru purred, eyeing the identical twin heirs, "If we make nice with these two girls, or even just one of them, then we could have a whole world of knowledge opened to us. It's said that the Haruno Clan stood beside the sage of six paths, so everything he knew they must know, right?" Saku looked nervously from Orochimaru to Kabuto, she really should have seen this; she knew Kabuto was a spy for crying out loud! She should have made sure that no one but Ikisu fallowed him around when he was near them.

"It's impolite to just barge right on in on someone else's ship, expressly since that ship is like a moving fortress…" Saku gave a hesitant smile towards Orochimaru before she addressed Kabuto. "You really should have told us that you were going to join us—"

"Every fortress has a weakness," Kura countered her sister easily as she eyed her sister almost coldly. "Didn't you take the hint when I told you to disappear?" Kura asked Kabuto pointedly, Kabuto scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"I did take the hint Kura-sama, but you see, were here on business." Kabuto answered, Kura narrowed her eyes at him, before he could blink, Kabuto's classes tilted off his face; he starred shocked as half of his glasses fell to the deck. He rose his fingers to the side of his face were he'd been cut; Saku tilted her head at him in an almost cute manner.

"We do not do _business_ with those who leave copses behind in their path." Kura hissed, her green eyes flashed dangerously at him, her Kunai was still in her hand and she didn't appear to have moved, the only tell tale sign that she had; was the tiny drop of blood on the edge of her kunai.

"Why Sakura-chan," Orochimaru started, in the blink of an eye he was standing behind her, his own Kanai ready to strike her down. "I would have thought that you would have been more appreciative!" Orochimaru planned to simply place his kunai next to her throat, but found he couldn't move. He watched in startled amazement as Kura turned to him and with a smirk of her own; she let out a low, high pitched whistle and instantly his genjutsu was broken.

"Lord Orochimaru," Kura spook softly from the main deck, Sasuke snapped around wide eyed at her sudden disappearance. "It is not wise to place Genjutsu, on a genjutsu master." Ikisu and Saku chuckled beside her, and the three missing leaf-nin stared in shock as the twins slowly walked away from them.

"She certainly has changed," Kabuto said chuckling, "El-well, mission complete, right?"

"Not quite Kabuto," Orochimaru answered with a sinister smile towards the twins, "she's captured my curiosity…" Sasuke glared at Orochimaru and thought that this was going to be a very long boat ride; he turned to the front of the ship and looked over the edge at the several Sound-Nins hiding just beyond sight. He let out a chuckle as he caught a glimpse of a few of those ninjas in the water, so the twins saw the shinobi hiding just out of few and knew that Kabuto hadn't left; how long have they known that they were with them?

"Sasuke, what are you smiling at?" Kabuto asked as he leaned over the edge of the boat, not unlike Saku had done earlier.

"Your ninja need to work on their hiding," Sasuke said to Orochimaru as he passed both leaf-nin and headed below the deck. He could hear Orochimaru chuckle after him as he descended the stairs to his once temporal room. He wondered when the captain would show them to their new courters, that evening Sasuke found out that the twin heirs had no intention of showing them their home island. In the morning Sasuke found himself on the deck looking out at a very familiar horizon, it was the horizon to the Fire nation itself.

"Well that's a surprise," Kabuto said from beside him, "I didn't realize we traveled that far last night."

"Properly because you didn't travel at all last night," a voice answered behind him, Kabuto and Sasuke turned to see a heavily scared old man. "You were teleported here," furious, Orochimaru through a kunai at the old man, only to see that it went straight through him. "I hope you don't mind if we took the liberty to announce your presence to Konoha's black ops." The old man smiled at them and fizzled out of sight, seconds after words revealed a heavily damaged, half sunken ship.

Orochimaru practically roared with fury which slowly turned into roaring laughter, he found a very interesting clan in dead; he was curious as to what else they could do. Off on the other side of the ship, Orochimaru and Kabuto saw the four men that they both used to get onto the Haruno ship; they were badly beaten and half dead. Orochimaru smirked sadistically at them and quickly jumped off the edge of the boat, quickly followed by Sasuke and Kabuto.

…

…

"That wasn't nice, Nee-chan," Saku whispered to Kura that evening as they lay in their shared bed. "They aren't going to be happy the next time we meet them."

"I have no intention of this clan ever meeting that demon snake ever again." Kura snapped back coldly, "What were you thinking about going to that monster for help? You knew where I was!"

"Yes but mother didn't!" Saku defended quickly "I didn't go to that man! He came to our contact in Mizu and got word to mother about you!" Saku whispered just as harshly as Kura was cold, she knew of her sister's memories; after all they often shared the same thoughts. "I tried to discourage her about trusting him, but she wouldn't listen! She finally got word of your existence and she wasn't willing to give up on you!" Kura let out a heavy sigh, Saku immanently knew exactly what she was thinking; that's what it meant when you Haruno twins, you knew everything that your twin knew. Secrets were none existent.

Kura stood up from bed and weaved her way to the window at the back of the ship, she sat on the window seal and starred out at the cold darkness that traced funny lines against the even colder glass pinned by her warm sleeping Yukata. Saku starred at her twin in sorrow and pain, she wanted to hold on to her sister and never leave her side ever again; she so desperately wanted to keep her safe. Kura knew this and because of her lack of precautions with Kabuto, Saku had let Kura's biggest nightmare and heartbreak onto the ship; Kura separating herself from Saku was her rightful punishment.

That night, neither twin got any sleep.

…

…

"Hime-sama?" a young maid asked as she gently opened the door to the twin's bedroom, "Hime-sama, it's time for breakfast," she looked around the girl's bedroom; she just couldn't see her princesses at all. They had landed on shore of their island just as the sun was rising, there wasn't any sign that the twins had left before now. "Saku-Hime, Kura-Hime? Where are you? It's time to get ready for the day."

"Ah, cousin," called a soft voice, the young woman turned and saw a beautiful younger girl standing in the door way to the bed room, her hand had pulled back the white curtain that separated the two rooms; She couldn't help but stare at the girl before her. "What are you doing here?" The girl's pink hair rested neatly just below her shoulders, her faint pink sleeping yukata fell slightly from her thin porcelain white shoulder, but what caught and trapped the young woman to stare at the younger girl, were her eyes. Her princess's eyes were the deepest Emerald she had ever seen and the saddest eyes she had ever seen in her entire life.

"My name is Yakuga Haruno," she said dazedly to the girl in the door way of her bed room and pallor. "Ah! My apologies!" Yakuga bowed deeply to her princess, "I didn't mean to stare! Please forgive me!" Yakuga begged, she tried to hide the tremor that racked through her body, but she thought that the lingering gaze of her new master saw that very shiver that she tried so hard to hide.

"You didn't answer my question cousin," the girl replied as she stepped forward, letting her curtain fall gracefully behind her. "What are you doing here?" Yakuga starred at the bare toes of her princess standing just a foot away from her, Yakuga fell to her knees and bowed with her forehead on the ground, Yakuga heard her princess step back; but her primary concern was not getting hurt. "Why don't you retry that introduction to me? I'll wait for you to reenter the room if you wish."

"My name is Yakuga Haruno," Yakuga said again, a tremor shook her voice and she cursed herself for showing fear to this nobility. "I am your container until you leave for the main house hold." Yakuga took a deep breath, "Please forgive me for starring!"

It was silent for a while before she heard a snort; shyly, Yakuga looked up at her princess. Only to see her princess gripping her stomach with her other hand gently curling around her mouth to hide her smile, but the smile didn't reach her eyes and Yakuga thought that her princess was only teasing her before she decided to hit her; much like what her old master would do. Yakuga flinched when a chuckle left her lips and suddenly her princess couldn't hold it back anymore, she laughed so hard she fell on her rear end. Yakuga stood up on her knees, her hands up and flaying in front of her as she stammered and stuttered.

"Is that all that was bothering you?" the girl asked as she calmed and eyed Yakuga, Yakuga could see the smile on her princess's face, but it still didn't make it to her eyes; even her laughter sounded cold and empty.

"I was wondering why you were begging on your hands and knees like that," Yakuga nearly gapped at the younger girl, "there is nothing you need to fear from me, you didn't offend me in any way." Yakuga sat back on her hunches, still starring in amazement at her mistress, "I did mess up my hair when I fell through," the girl mused as she ran hand through her still neat pink locks, she eyed Yakuga with a faint smile on her pink lips.

"I suppose you could fix it for me?" Yakuga nodded her head dumbly, "Good." Her princess stood up and offered Yakuga her hand, "My name is Kura Haruno, It's a pleasure to meet you; Cousin Yakuga."

Yakuga couldn't help but gap and stare up at her princess; she was container to the missing heir! She was container to _Kura Haruno_! The heir that led the enemies away from her sister so that she could run away to safety! Yakuga knew the story like the back of her hand, she knew that no matter what happened she had to protect Kura; even at the coast of her own life!

"Mistress," Yakuga called to Kura as she helped Yakuga stand again, only for the older girl to bow deeply once more. "Mistress Kura, if there is anything you need, please just ask, even if it is my life; just ask me and I will hand it over to you." Yakuga smiled up at Kura, it took a moment for it sink in but once it did, Kura's hand flashed out and Yakuga found her head turned away from Kura; her left cheek stinging like it was just burned. Yakuga looked back at her new mistress in startled amazement; Kura's eyes were cold and harsh when they locked on her own warm hazel-green orbs.

"I will never ask for your life," Kura's voice was as cold as the winter winds outside, Yakuga shivered at the tone. "Nor should you through it way so uselessly!"

"Yes Mistress Kura…" Yakuga mumbled ashamed, she should have known that Kura wouldn't be happy with that statement; all the stories said that she valued life and was a peace keeper at heart. "Please forgive me Kura-Hime-sama…" Kura huffed and turned away; she entered her bedroom and fell out of sight from Yakuga's position by the door to the room. "Forgive me…" Yakuga whispered as she fought against her tears, she knew Kura couldn't hear her, but that didn't stop her from the praying that her mistress would hear it.

"Are you coming or not?" Kura called from the other side of the open door way, Yakuga looked up sharply at the Key hole to the bedroom. "I'm not going to wait here forever for you, ya know."

"Y-yes! I'm coming Kura-Hime!" Yakuga called as she straitened and hurried to her princess's side, she pushed the white drape aside gently and turned to find her princes sitting before a huge vanity. "Wow…" Yakuga whispered at the sight. Kura picked up her brush and held it gently in her hand, Yakuga blushed and rushed to her princess's side; taking the brush gently from Kura, Yakuga picked up a section of pink hair and started to brush gently. Once Yakuga had finished brushing Kura's hair as gently as possible, she continued to brush the silky strands until she counted to a hundred strokes; it was only then that she paused and eyed her mistress's reflection.

Kura was lost in her own world, completely forgetting that today was a new day and that there were many things she would need to get done today…

Yakuga gasped and quickly placed the hairbrush on the vanity as she racked her other hand through her muddy brown hair.

"I completely forgot!" Yakuga hissed as she began to panic, quickly Yakuga turned and looked for the closet. Once she spotted it she opened the doors and started looking for the appropriate clothes for Kura. "How could I forget my reason for coming here?!" Yakuga asked herself as she hurried through the cloths, glancing and studying some before pushing them aside and looking through the others. Finally after a couple of minutes she pulled out several small Kimonos, when layered they would make the most beautiful kimono on Kura. Yakuga turned around as she eyed Kura apologetically, Kura lifted a thin eyebrow at her; nervously Yakuga chuckled as she walked to the bed and laid the layered kimono on the bed.

"Forgive me for forgetting Kura-Hime," Yakuga blushed as she eyed a spot a spot just over Kura's shoulder. "I was sent to get you ready for breakfast; your family is waiting…"

"Ah" Kura replied as she stepped forward and lifted her arms to either side of her, "So that's why Saku left so quickly once she woke up." Yakuga tilted her head sideways as her eyebrow's knitted together, she didn't say anything else as Yakuga quickly removed the sleeping yukata and very nearly dropped the fabric in her hands. Fighting her tears and gritting her teeth, Yakuga continued dressing the younger girl, once she tied the last string of the obi around Kura's waist; Yakuga stepped back and admired her work.

She was right about the blue kimono with light orange and yellow butterflies and white and golden lilies, and the green and black leafs all rimmed in the lightest shade of crimson and the customary white circle of the Haruno clan.

"Would you like to where your crown and earrings?" Yakuga asked as she walked towards the vanity where the crimson head band waited with a pair of blood red earrings with a small white circle on them. Kura tilted her head towards Yakuga and starred at her unseeingly. "Alright then," Yakuga smiled and gestured for Kura to sit before the mirror once more. "If you please, Hime-sama, I'll do your hair once more."

Once Kura sat down she looked at her reflection once more and for a moment Yakuga thought that she was going to break it. Quickly but elegantly, Yakuga pulled Kura's hair back into a simple low ponytail; leaving the younger girl's bangs to frame her face peacefully and elegantly. Once that was done, Yakuga gently placed the thin bead crown on her head and hooked it together just above her ponytail, letting it's several strings of crimson and pink beads frame Kura's face as she placed the earrings in their rightful places. Yakuga stepped back and admired her work once more, and nearly burst at the sorrowful look in Kura's eyes as she studied herself in the mirror. Yakuga took in a deep breath and readied herself for what she knew was bound to be her death.

"Kura-Hime-sama…" Yakuga started hesitantly, Kura looked at her in the mirror, "Sometimes, it's best to leave your past behind, sometimes that's what it takes to move forward, to continue living…" Yakuga watched as Kura's eyes widened in shock. "Why make your heart break, when you have a second chance to live your life like you would have before; if you were given the chance…" Yakuga wasn't looking at Kura anymore, she was lightly trembling and tears were gathered in her eyes.

"Why remember those who hurt you? Isn't it best to forget them and move on so that you don't hurt anymore?" she heard Kura move and Yakuga couldn't help the flinch as she readied herself for the searing pain that would surly rack through her body. But she only felt small, dainty arms wrap around her as Kura buried her head into Yakuga's neck. Soft barely there sobs sounded from the younger girl as Yakuga hesitantly wrapped her arms around the younger girl, she could feel Kura's tears dripping on her shoulder. Yakuga pressed her lips into a thin line and tightened her hold on Kura just barely to enough to dent the heavy, thick cloth of the Kimono.

"I promise to never speak of it again my princess," Yakuga whispered, she pulled back just enough to place her forehead on Kura's beaded brow gently. "I will find a way to make you smile with all your heart," Yakuga smiled at Kura almost knowingly "Just like before…"

A single tear dropped from Yakuga's cheek and molded with Kura's fresh set as it landed on the hard redwood floor. Kura gave a small hesitantly smile in return to her new keeper, the sadness in her emerald gaze nearly doubled. Hearing a soft knocking on the door, both young women jerked in surprise before Kura clutched almost fearfully at Yakuga's robs. The maid on the other side of the closed door just beyond the key whole called out to Yakuga and Kura hesitantly and almost fearfully.

"Breakfast is waiting my princess," Yakuga whispered gently as she pulled away from Kura and waved her hand towards the door, Kura smiled gratefully and wiped at her eyes.

…

…

"So you don't know where we're heading?" Tamari asked disbelievingly as she starred at Naruto and his team.

"It's not our fault," Kiba replied almost harshly, "That lady said that they were going to the land of snow!"

"Do you have any idea how big the land of snow is?!" Tamari snapped back, "It's almost as big as the fire nation!"

"Then it shouldn't take so long to find out where she's heading!" Kiba barked back, Tamari looked like she was about to ring his neck.

"Kiba calm down," Shikamaru sighed lazily, "She's got a point, the land of Snow is almost as big as the fire nation."

"So? We traveled from one end of the fire nation to the other in days!" Kiba said turning towards his teammate.

"Yes b-but Kiba-kun…" Hinata started, "the land of snow is full of Islands, some are days apart and not all of them are mapped…" Kiba starred at her as if he wasn't sure if he should belief her or not.

"Look here Kiba," Kuranai replied as he rolled out a map on the cave floor for everyone to see.

"What's that? I've never seen a map like that before," Naruto asked as he starred at the map before him, several of his friends nodding their head in agreement.

"It's a map of snow country," Anko answered quickly; "at least it's a start, better than nothing."

"What do you mean by that?" Neji asked, Anko sighed as her fingers traveled around the map.

"She means it's not a full map of snow country," Tenten answered, "These are just the more well known islands."

"And we really don't want to cross one of the not so well known ones," Ino yawned as she rubbed at her sleepy eyes and sat beside Choji and Shikamaru.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Shikamaru asked as he tilted his head towards Ino, who immanently shivered as if remembering a horrifying thought.

"Just trust us when we say you don't want to be on one of those Islands," Shizune replied looking like she just escaped from one of Tsunade's drunken furies.

"Okay…" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow and turned back to the map, "so how much of snow country are we looking at?"

"About as much as they raveled to the hidden mist village," a new voice answered, it was deep and tiered and the seventeen people snapped around at the entrance of the cave. Neji, Shikamaru, Naruto, Kiba and Shino each readied themselves before their teammates, almost ready to take on any threat headed their way. Before them stood two figures dressed in black cloaks, one of them reveled themselves to be middle aged man with an eye patch and a headband with the mist insignia on it. The old man smirked at them with a tilt in his eyebrows as if he was only slightly amused by their antics. "Easy boys, we're no threat." The man said, even if they didn't lesson their positions, the boy's faces smoothed over in understanding; it was this man who had spoken.

"Who are you?" snapped Naruto uneasily; he was crouched and ready to release the nine tails if these people showed to be a threat. It was almost unsettling how his stomach both dropped to the floor in fear and soared to the sky in joy, what was the Kiyobi thinking right now? Where these strangers a threat?

"Hello there, you must be the leaf shinobi looking for the princess." A new almost childish voice answered calmly, the Leaf shinobi starred at the other hooded figure in disbelief. There was no way in hell someone so tall could have such a childish voice, but their unspoken question was answered the cloaked person's robs moved and a blur landed gracefully before Naruto.

"So you're the Kiyobi Jinchuuriki," the child before Naruto was almost smiling at him, "you must be the Ichibi Jinchuuriki" Suddenly he was standing before Gaara, starring up at the older boy almost amazed at what he saw before him. He disappeared as Gaara's sand tried to wrap around his ankles, he reappeared next to the still hidden figure at the front of the cave and half heartedly hid behind them. "I'm the Rokubi Jinchuuriki, my name is Utakata." The boy said calmly as he answered Naruto's previous question, "I was summoned by the princess," he smiled at Naruto, "Just like you two where."

"We weren't summoned," Shikamaru answered as he starred at the starring purple eyed boy, "we're chasing our friend to bring her back to the village hidden in the leaves."

"Is that so?" a new voice asked, Jiraya turned and eyed the still hidden figure as if he was expecting someone he hasn't seen in years, his cheeks painted a faint pink as he watched the figure slowly raise their hand to their hood. "Why would Konoha send so many for one little execution?" the hidden person was a red haired woman, half her face was covered with her blood red locks and as she removed her cloak, one could see that she had the perfect hour-glass figure.

"That wasn't nice Nee-chan" the boy mumbled up at the woman, she only smirked at him before stepping towards the fire.

"Oh baby!" Jiraya practically drooled at the sight of the red head, "You're hotter than the sex jutsu!" Naruto and the rest of the girls promptly hit Jiraya so hard his face embedded the rock floor of the cave.

"Don't drool over her," the leaf women growled out warningly.

"How is she better then my Sexy jutsu?!" Naruto practically cried, the woman turned to him next, "I mean I don't know what ero-sanin is talking about…" Too late, the leaf Kinochi thrashed Naruto, not hearing his explanation.

"So the rumors of Konoha's women are true," the man with the eye patched whispered, "Leaf Kinochi wear the pants in the relationship." The red haired woman sat next to the fire elegantly, trying hard not to smile.

"So why did Leaf send so many escorts for the nine tails?" she asked turning towards the red eyed Jonin who quickly took a seat next to her.

"Because we're not escorts for Naruto," Kuranai said calmly "by the way, my name is Kuranai Yuhi, what's yours?"


End file.
